Virginia Democrats Thursday said they will seek to redraw the blue-trending state’s congressional map to flip two or three Republican-held seats and counter President Trump’s push to hold Congress in next year’s crucial midterm elections.
Lawmakers would seek to pass a constitutional amendment necessary to open the door to redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections and converting the current 6-5 split to as much as a 9-2 Democratic edge in the state’s House of Representatives delegation
The push could help Democrats even the playing field as Trump pushes red state Republicans to grab as many Democratic seats as possible ahead of what is forecast as a difficult political year for the GOP.
State Sen. Scott Surovell, the Democratic majority leader, confirmed the redistricting plans, which would require the approval of both houses in the state legislature.
Former Democratic Rep Abigail Spanberger leads Republican Lt. Gov Winsome EarleSears by a healthy margin in polls of next month’s off-year race for Virginia governor Spanberger had previously said she was not planning to push the state to undergo mid-decade redistricting.
Mich. man threatened to kill Trump, feds say DETROIT U.S. Secret Service agents have arrested a Michigan man and accused the former U.S. Air Force airman of threatening to kill President Donald Trump over the administration’s LGBTQ+ policies, according to federal court records unsealed Thursday Joshua Levi Young, 21, of Ishpeming, is accused of issuing several threats since January that called for the execution of Trump, including posts that read “Death to Trump,” “Death To POTUS” and “Kill the dictator.”
The case unsealed Thursday charged Young with threatening to kill and injure the president, and transmitting an interstate threat, both five-year felonies.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Maarten Vermaat ordered Young held without bond after a detention hearing Thursday in Marquette Secret Service investigators searched social media and found several threats posted on Instagram, Facebook and X this year “I am going to kill Trump raise him from the dead and kill him again,” one Instagram post read. “Death to Trump.” Public records led to Young as the author of the posts, Special Agent Adam Rogers wrote in the criminal filing.
Adams endorses Cuomo in NYC mayoral race
NEWYORK New York City Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the city’s mayoral election Thursday, throwing his weight behind a bitter rival he recently called a “snake and a liar” as the former governor tries to defeat Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Adams, who dropped his own reelection bid last month, made the announcement while standing alongside Cuomo at a Harlem housing project, lashing out at Mamdani as a “snake-oil salesman” and the “king of the gentrifiers.”
He also alluded to his past battles with Cuomo “Brothers fight,” Adams said. “But when families are attacked, brothers come together.”
The endorsement comes after the former governor and mayor met Wednesday night — at Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks’ opening game of the season — right after the city’s final mayoral debate. They were photographed looking chummy, fueling speculation of an incoming endorsement.
It’s not immediately clear if Adams’ endorsement will help Cuomo in the city’s November election.
Cuomo, a centrist, has cast himself as the only candidate who can beat Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and state assemblymember who shocked the political establishment by soundly defeating the former governor in the June primary
Bills to pay federal workers fail
BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday rejected dueling partisan bills to pay federal workers during the government shutdown, with both Republicans and Democrats deflecting blame as many employees are set to miss their first full paycheck at the end of this week
With unpaid staff and law enforcement standing nearby, Republicans objected as Democrats proposed a voice vote on their legislation to pay all federal workers and prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from mass firings. Democrats then blocked a Republican bill to pay employees who are working and not furloughed 54-45.
The back-and-forth on Day 23 of the government shutdown comes as the two parties are at a protracted impasse with no signs of either side giving in. Democrats say they won’t vote to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say they won’t negotiate on the subsidies until Democrats vote to reopen the government. Trump is mostly disengaged and headed to Asia in the coming days.
The Republican bill by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin would pay “excepted” workers who still have to come to work during the current government shutdown and any future shutdowns The bill would “end this punishing federal workers for our dysfunction forever,” Johnson said.
But Democrats say the legislation is unfair to the workers who are involuntarily furloughed and could give Cabinet secretaries too much discretion as to who gets paid.
Johnson’s bill is “nothing more than another tool for Trump to hurt federal workers and American families and to keep this shutdown going for as long as he wants,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said ahead of the votes.
The Democratic bills would have paid a much larger swath of workers as most federal workers are set to miss paychecks over the next week.
“It seems like everyone in this chamber agrees we should pay federal workers,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said ahead of the vote. But because of the shutdown, “they are paying a price.” As Congress is unable to agree
on a way forward, money for essential services could soon reach a crisis point.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that his message to air traffic controllers during the government shutdown is “come to work, even if you do not get a paycheck.”
Duffy said that air traffic controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday and that some are having to make choices to pay the mortgage and other bills, at times by taking a second job.
“I cannot guarantee you your flight is going to be on time. I cannot guarantee your flight is not going to be canceled,” Duffy said. Payments for federal food and heating assistance could also run out soon, along with funding for Head Start preschool programs, several states have warned.
Entire East Wing demolished for ballroom
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE and JACQUELYN MARTIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON The entire White House East Wing has been demolished as President Donald Trump moves forward with construction of a ballroom, Associated Press photos on Thursday showed.
The East Wing, where first ladies created history, planned state dinners and promoted causes, is now history itself. The two-story structure of drawing rooms and offices, including workspace for first ladies and their staffs, has been turned into rubble, demolished as part of the Republican president’s plan to build what he said is now a $300 million ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House.
Trump said Wednesday that keeping the East Wing would have “hurt a very, very expensive, beautiful building” that he said presidents have wanted for years. He said “me and some friends of mine” will pay for the ballroom at no cost to taxpayers.
Trump allowed the demolition to begin this week despite not yet having approval from the relevant government agencies with jurisdiction over construction on federal property
Preservationists have also urged the Trump administration to halt the demolition until plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom can go through the required public review process.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation said the review process, including time for members
of the public to comment on plans for the ballroom, would “provide a crucial opportunity for transparency and broad engagement — values that have guided preservation of the White House under every administration going back to the public competition in 1792 that produced the building’s original design.”
The Trust also expressed concern to the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service and the Commission
of Fine Arts that the size of the proposed ballroom will overwhelm the Executive Mansion, which stands at 55,000 square feet “and may permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House.”
Both commissions have jurisdiction over changes to the White House. The park service manages the White House grounds and has a role in the process as several trees on the South Lawn have been cut down as part of the construction.
States that voted for Trump get disaster declarations
President taking longer to approve requests
BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Associated Press
President Donald Trump approved major disaster declarations for Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe late Wednesday, while denying requests from Vermont, Illinois and Maryland and leaving other states still waiting for answers.
The decisions fell mostly along party lines, with Trump touting on social media Wednesday that he had “won BIG” in Alaska in the last three presidential elections and that it was his “honor” to deliver for the “incredible Patriots” of Missouri a state he also won three times.
The disaster declarations authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support recipients with federal financial assistance to repair public infrastructure damaged by disasters and, in some cases, provide survivors money for repairs and temporary housing.
While Trump has approved more disaster declarations than he’s denied this year, he has also repeatedly floated the idea of “phasing out” FEMA, saying he wants states to take more responsibility for disaster response and recovery States already take the lead in disasters, but depend on federal assistance when the needs exceed what they can manage alone.
Trump has also taken longer to approve disaster declaration requests than in any previous administration, including his first, according to an Associated Press analysis.
The states approved for disaster declarations include Alaska, which filed an
expedited request after experiencing back-to-back storms this month that wrecked coastal villages, displaced 2,000 residents and killed at least one person. Trump approved a 100% cost share of disaster-related expenses for 90 days.
North Dakota and Nebraska will also receive public assistance for August severe weather, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota was approved for both public and individual assistance for a June storm that felled thousands of trees across its tribal lands.
Trump denied four requests, including Maryland’s appeal for reconsideration after the state was denied a disaster declaration for May flooding that severely impacted the state’s two westernmost counties.
Democratic Gov Wes Moore denounced the decision in a statement Thursday calling the final denial “deeply frustrating.”
“President Trump and his administration have politicized disaster relief, and our communities are the ones who will pay the price,” said Moore.
Trump also denied Vermont a major disaster declaration for July 10 floods after the state waited over nine weeks for a decision. The damages far exceed what some of the small towns impacted can afford on their own, said Eric Forand, Vermont’s emergency management director “It’s well over the annual budget or two years’ budget (of some towns), to fix those roads,” Forand said.
The other denials included an application from Illinois for individual assistance for three counties impacted in July by severe storms and flooding, and one from Alaska to rebuild a public safety building that burned in a July electrical fire. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about why the states were denied.
Both agencies currently are closed because of the government shutdown. Trump installed top aide Will Scharf as chairman of the planning commission.
The National Park Service said in August, after the White House announced the ballroom project, that it had provided historic preservation guidance and support as part of a broader consultation process. It said final decisions are made by the Executive Office of the President.
Debris is seen at a largely demolished part of the East Wing of the White House on Thursday
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Trumpbacks offplans forSan Francisco
Presidentwon’t send surgeof federalagents
BY TERRYCHEA and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press
ALAMEDA, Calif. President
Donald Trump said Thursday thathe’sbacking off a planned surge of federal agentsinto San Francisco after speaking to the mayor, as protesters gathered outside aU.S. Coast Guard base where they were located.
Trump posted on social media that Mayor Daniel Lurie told him Wednesday night that the city was making progress in reducing crime. Trump said he agreed to let San Francisco keep trying on its own.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents began arriving Thursday at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California, to support federal efforts to track down immigrants in the country illegally.Several hundred people, many singing hymns and carrying signs saying, “Protectour neighbors” and “No ICE or troops in the Bay,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, gathered at the base around dawn.
Police used at leastone flash-bang grenade to clear ahandful of demonstrators from the entrance as CBP
vehicles drove onto thebase. Organizersurged protesters to remain peaceful,asaline of Coast Guard officers in helmetswatched from just outsidethe entrance. Lurie said he received aphone callfromTrump Wednesday night in which the president told him he was “callingoff anyplans fora federaldeployment in SanFrancisco.” Luriesaid in
astatementthat Homeland
Security Secretary Kristi Noem “reaffirmed that direction” Thursday morning.
At an afternoon news conference, Luriesaidhewelcomes thecity’s “continued partnership” withthe Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal authorities to get illegal narcotics off thestreets and contribute to San Francisco’sfalling
crime rates. “But having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our citywill hinder our recovery,” the mayor said. It was not clear if the president was canceling a National Guard deployment or calling off immigration enforcementbyCBP agents. At hisnews conference, Lurie said he could not clarify andcould only say what the
president had said.
California Gov.Gavin Newsom’soffice said on X: “Trumphas finally,for once, listened to reason.”
The SanFranciscoChronicle, citing an anonymous sourcewithknowledge of theoperation,reported Wednesday that more than 100 CBP andotherfederal agents would arrive this week. Lurie and Newsom,
both Democrats, condemned the move,saying it was meant to provoke violent protests.
Trumphas repeatedly said he plans to deploy National Guard troopstoSan Francisco to quell crime,but hasn’t offered atimelinefor doing so. His assertions of out-ofcontrol crime in the city of roughly 830,000 have baffled local and state leaders, who point to statistics showing that many crimes are at record lows.
Trump has deployed the Guard to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, to help fight what he saysis rampant crime. Los Angeleswas the first city where Trump deployed theGuard, arguing it was necessary to protect federalbuildings andagents as protesters fought back against mass immigration arrests. He hasalsosaidthey are needed in Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Lawsuits from Democratic officials have so far blocked troops from going out on city streets. Coast Guard Island is an artificial island formed in 1913, and the Coast Guard first establisheda base therein1926. The island is owned by the federalgovernment andis not open to the general public, so escorts or specific government ID cards are
BY WILL WEISSERT and ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who created the world’slargest cryptocurrency exchange and served prison time for failing to stop criminalsfrom using the platform to move money connected to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism.
The pardon caps a monthslong effort by Zhao, a billionaire commonlyknown as CZ in the crypto world andone of the biggest names in the industry.He and Binance have been key supporters of some of the Trump family’scrypto enterprises.
“Deeply grateful for today’spardon and to President Trump for upholding America’scommitment to fairness, innovation, and justice,” Zhao said on social media Thursday Zhao’spardon is the last move by apresident who has flexed his executive power to bestow clemency on political allies, prominent public figuresand others convicted of crimes. White Housepress secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the pardon in a
statement and later told reporters in abriefing thatthe White House counsel’soffice “thoroughly reviewed” the request. She said theadministration ofDemocratic President Joe Bidenpursued “anegregiousoversentencing” in thecase, was “very hostile to the cryptocurrency industry” and Trump “wants to correct this overreach.”
The cryptoindustryhas also long complaineditwas subject to a“regulation by enforcement” ethos under theBiden administration.
Trump’spardon of Zhaofits into abroad pattern of the his taking ahands-off approach to an industry that spent heavily to help him win theelection in 2024.
His administration has dropped several enforcement actions againstcrypto companiesthat began during Biden’sterm and disbandedthe crypto-related enforcement team at the Justice Department.
Former federal prosecutor Mark Bini said Zhao went to prison forwhat “sounds like aregulatoryoffense, or at worst its kissingcousin.”
“So this pardon, while it involves the biggest name in crypto, is not very surprising,” saidBini, awhite collar defenselawyer whohandles crypto issues at Reed Smith. Zhao wasreleasedfrom prison last year after receiving afour-month sentence for violating the BankSecrecy Act. He was thefirst person ever sentenced to prison
time for such violations of that law, which requires U.S. financial institutions to knowwho their customers are, to monitortransactions andtofile reports of suspicious activity.Prosecutors saidnoone hadever violated theregulations to the extent Zhao did.
Thejudge in the casesaid he was troubled by Zhao’s decision to ignore U.S. bankingrequirementsthatwould have slowed thecompany’s explosive growth.
“Bettertoask for forgiveness than permission,” was what Zhao told his employees about the company’sapproach to U.S.law,prosecutors said. Binanceallowed morethan 1.5 million virtual currency trades, totaling nearly $900 million, that violated U.S. sanctions, including ones involving Hamas’ alQassam Brigades, al-Qaida and Iran, prosecutorssaid.
“I failed here,”Zhao told the court last year during sentencing. “I deeply regret my failure, and Iamsorry.”
Zhaohad aremarkable path to becominga crypto billionaire.Hegrew up in rural Chinaand his family immigrated to Canadaafter the 1989 TiananmenSquare massacre. He became enamored with thetechindustry in college. He founded Binance in 2017.
In addition to taking procryptoenforcement and regulatory positions, the president andhis family have plunged headfirst into
making money in crypto.
Astablecoin launched by WorldLiberty Financial, a crypto project founded by Trump and sons Donald Jr and Eric, received early support and credibilitythanks to an investment fund in the United Arab Emirates using $2 billion worth of World Liberty’sstablecoin to purchase astake in Binance.
Stablecoins are atype of cryptocurrency that are typically tied to the value of the U.S. dollar
Aseparate World Liberty Finance token saw ahuge spike in price Thursday shortly afternews of the pardon wasmade public with gains that faroutpaced anyothermajor cryptocurrency,accordingtodata from CoinMarketCap. Zhao said earlier this year that hislawyers hadrequested apardon. It is not immediately clear whatimpact Trump’spardon of Zhao mayhave for operations at Binance and Binance.US, aseparate arm of the main exchange offering more limited trading options to U.S. residents.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByNOAHBERGER
and vehicles block the entrance to Coast
administer it in Apriland May or May andJune with integrity.”
Five minutes later, SenatePresident Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, entered thecommittee room, looked at Carter,and quietly told himto“breathe, breathe.”
“You know,it’shardto breathe,” Carter said to those gathered in the room. “Because those of us who live in America, those of us who liveinLouisiana …wehave greatrespect for our Constitution, we have great respect for our laws, we have great respectfor our democracy and how we elect our leaders.”
Carter said it is like achild “finding out that there is no Santa Claus.”
“I’m losing trust in oursystem,” he said.
Sen. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, said Republicans were beingdisingenuous about the potential impact of pushingback the election.
“Weshould not try to pass it off to the public that we are changing adate,” Jenkinssaid. “We’re putting into place aprocedure, aprocedure that couldvery much be complicated, convoluted,complex and could very much be infringing on voters’ participationinthe upcoming election.”
Jenkins said changing the rules forjust one election “isverysuspect.”
He pressed Sen. CalebKleinpeter,the Port Allen Republican sponsoring thelegislation,repeatedly on this point. But Kleinpeter remained firm that it merely amounts toachange of dates
“Wechangelaws all the time,” he said.
“All we’re doing is preparing ourselves in case theSupreme Court comes back with acertain ruling,” Kleinpeter said.
Jenkinsinsistedthat lawmakers are “too doggone close” to the 2026 election cycle to make changes
Later in the hearing, Carter askedKleinpeter,“Do youthink interfering with U.S. congressionalelections is asign of integrity, Mr.Chairman?”
“Weare not interfering with the election,” Kleinpeter responded.
RetortedCarter: “It sounds like the riggingofanelection. It sounds like the first step in the process of howdowerig an election.”
The heated exchange prompted the committee to recess briefly and reconvene.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, attended thehearing and addressed thecommittee, asking them to haltthe special session.
“Adjourn. Go home. Let’sdo something else. Let’swaituntil we have atrue problem to fix,”the congressman said.
Miami and Charlotte.
York,calledit“oneofthe most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
“My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended,” Nocella said. “Your luck has run out.”
Both men face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Also charged was former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones, who stands accused of participating in both schemes.
“The fraud is mind-boggling,” FBIDirector Kash Pateltold reporters.“We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multiyear investigation.”
The alleged fraud, however,paled in comparison to the riches the athletes earnedon the court. Billups, whowas inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year,had about $106 million in earnings over his 17-year career Rozier made about $160 million in his stops in Boston,
HAYNES
Continued from page1A
Billups and Rozier have been placed on leave from their teams, accordingtothe NBA, which said it is cooperatingwith authorities.
“Wetake these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains ourtop priority,”the NBAsaid in a statement.
Hours after his arrest,Rozier appeared in afederal court in Orlando, Florida, wearing aCharlotte Hornets sweatshirt, handcuffs and shackles. Billups appeared before ajudge in Portland, Oregon.Both men were ordered released from custody on certainconditions.
Billups’ attorney,Chris Heywood, declined tocomment after thehearing.
Rozier’slawyer,Jim Trusty,said in astatement that hisclient is “not agambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.” Trusty criticized authorities for not allowing hisclient to surrenderonhis own and accused officials of wanting “the misplacedgloryof embarrassinga professional athlete with aperp walk.”
Messages wereleft Thursdayata phone number and email address listed in publicrecordsfor Jones.
Roughly20otherdefen-
“We’ve got two seatsthat reflect the demographicsofour great state,” he said of Louisiana’scongressional map, which has two majority-Black districts— one of which helped elect him. “I’durge younot to do anything to tamper with that.”
Senate Bill 1and Senate Bill 2 ultimately passed the committee on aparty-line vote,with six Republicans voting in favor and three Democrats opposed.
Gov.Jeff Landry in an interview earlier in the day Thursday said delaying the spring primary election is “about being responsible and responsive” to anySupreme Court ruling that may come down this year
Democraticoppositiontothe plan is politically motivated,he said.
“They want to trapusina 4-2 map,” Landry said, referring to
dants appeared in federal court in Brooklyn,where most of them pleaded not guilty. Many of those charged with violent crimes or with lengthy criminal recordsand ties to organized crime were detained. The pokerscheme lured unwittingplayersintorigged games with the chance to competeagainst former professional basketball players like Billups and Jones.The games were fixed using sophisticated cheating technology,such as altered cardshuffling machines,hidden cameras in poker chip trays, specialsunglasses andeven X-ray equipment built into the tabletoread cards, authoritiesallege.
The schemeoften made useofillegalpoker games runbyNew York crime families that required them to share aportionoftheir proceeds with theGambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to courtpapers. Membersof those families,inturn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault,extortion androbbery,toensure repayment of debts andthe continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.
In thesports betting scheme, Rozierand other
Louisiana’sfour majority-White and two-majority Black districts.
“This is pure politics.”
Louisiana “should notbetrapped in asituation” shouldaSupreme Court ruling allow the Legislature to redraw itscongressional map, he said.
“If theSupremeCourt does give us adecision by theend of the year,wecould quickly go into sessionand draw a5-1 mapifthat’s what the Legislature wishes to do.”
Louisiana Republicansplan to delay theApril 18 primary elections by one month and hold them on May 16 instead.
They would also delay by a month subsequent municipal general elections and possible primary runoffs for ahandful of closed partyprimary races, to June 27.
Next spring is when Louisiana is set to launchnew,closed party primaries forseveral offices —in-
defendants areaccused of accessing private information from NBA players or coaches thatcould affect a player’sperformance and giving that information to others so theycould place wagers.Playerssometimes altered their performance or took themselvesout of games early torig prop bets —atype of wager that allows gamblers to beton whether aplayer will exceed acertainstatistic,suchasa total numberofpoints,rebounds or assists, according to theindictment.
In oneinstance, Rozier, while playingfor theCharlotte Hornets in 2023, told people he was planning to leave the game early with asupposed injury,allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tensofthou-
cludingmostnotably
U.S. Senate andU.S.House races —aswell as Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commissionand the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Previously,primaries for those races were held in the fall. Theywerealso jungle primaries, meaningall candidates competed against each other regardless of party affiliation, and voters could cast ballots for any candidate regardless of the party theyregistered with.
State lawmakers are trying to buythemselves alittleextra time while the U.S. SupremeCourt mulls its decision in what many expect could be aconsequential case forvoting rights and redistricting. Thecase, Louisianav.Callais, dealswith Louisiana’scongressionalmap and its two majority-Black congressional districts. Agroup of White voters challenged the map and asked the high court to deem one of themajority-Blackdistricts unconstitutional, saying that race should not be used as afactor during the redistricting process. There is achance the Supreme Court will issue an opinion this year,and its decision could create an opportunity forthe Legislature to draw anew congressionalmap ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
But there also is achance the Supreme Court delaysany decision until summer, or thatthe opinion does not create conditions for the Legislature to draw anew map
sands of dollars, authorities said. That gameagainstthe NewOrleans Pelicans raised eyebrowsatthe time. Rozier played the first 9minutes and 36 seconds of thegame before leaving, citing afoot issue. He did not play again that season. Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettorswere furious withsportsbooksthatevening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the game after the first quarter,withmany turning to social media to say that something “shady” had happened regarding the prop bets involving his stats forthat night. The indictments contain the descriptions of several unnamed NBA players whose injury status
andavailabilityfor certain games were the source of betting activity.Those playersare notaccused of any wrongdoing, and there is no indication that they would have even known whatwas being said about their status forthose games. Those players include LeBron James, Anthony Davis andDamian Lillard. Their identities are clear based on areview of corresponding injury reports surrounding gamesmentioned in theindictment. The indictments show that certain defendants shared information about the availability of those players in agameon March24, 2023, involving the Portland Trail Blazers, andtwo gamesin2023 and 2024 involving the Los Angeles Lakers.
whoweren’t qualified and directthemtobusinesses ownedby Franques, who had acontract to provide online coursesand rehab. Franques gave Haynes and co-conspirator Guidry some of theproceeds. Guidry also got Haynesinvolved in asimilar kickback scheme allegedly involving Jack Montoucet, the former secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries and Franques. Montoucet and Guidry arranged forFranques’ busi-
ness to obtaina contract to provide online hunting and fishing classes for thedepartment andwould share proceeds with theothers, authorities said.
Haynes is scheduled forsentencing on Dec. 17. Franques was sentenced Tuesday to ayear in prison. Guidrywas sentenced to four years. Montoucet’s trial is set for May 11.
If the U.S. SupremeCourt mandates new maps for the congressional districts, Secretary of State Nancy Landry is estimating that she and her staff can meet the new qualifying and election schedule if they have those mapsbymid-January.Ifher officereceives those maps later,Landry and her staff are still trying to determine how that would affect next year’selection schedule. on personal injury cases. He also conducted business transactions and handled litigation for oilfield companies, he said. Haynes, when he was in charge of the pretrial intervention programin Don Landry’s15th Judicial District Attorney’sOffice, conspired to allow criminal defendants into the program
Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.
Putindeploresnew sanctionsas‘unfriendly’
EU joinsU.S.in adding economic punishments
BY LORNE COOK Associated Press
BRUSSELS TheEuropean Union on Thursday heaped more economic sanctions on Russia, adding to U.S. President Donald Trump’snew punitive measures the previous day against the Russian oil industry.Russian President Vladimir Putin called Washington’smove an “unfriendly act” that could backfire by spiking global oil prices.
The Americanand European sanctions areintended as part of abroadened effort to choke off the revenue and supplies that fuel Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, compelling Putin to negotiate an end to the war
Speakingtoreporters in Moscow,Putin acknowledged that the “serious” U S. sanctions will have “certain consequences” for Russia, but maintainedthat they will not significantly impact its economy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has long campaigned for the internationalcommunityto punishRussia morecomprehensively forattacking his country,hailed the new restrictions. “Wewaited forthis. God bless, it will work.And this is very important,” Zelenskyy said in Brussels, whereEU countries attendinga summit announcedthe latest round of Russia sanctions. Despite U.S.-ledpeace efforts in recent months,the war shows nosign of ending after nearly four years, and European leaders are increasingly concerned about the threat fromRussia. Ukrainian forces have
struggled to stem slow but steady advances by Russia’s bigger armyalong aroughly 600-mile front line that snakesalongeastern and southern Ukraine. Almost daily Russian long-range strikes have taken aim at Ukraine’s powergrid before thebitterwinter, while Ukrainian forces have targeted Russianoil refineries and manufacturing plants. Energy revenue is the linchpin of Russia’seconomy,allowing Putintopour
money into the armed forces withoutworseninginflation andavoiding acurrency collapse.
Putinsaid he warned Trump thatanattempt to curb Russianoil exports will destabilizeglobal oil marketsand backfire against theUnited States. “A sharp reduction in the amounts of our oil and oil products sent to global marketswill lead to price increases,”he said, adding that consumers at U.S.gas stations will feel
LithuaniasaysRussiaviolatedits airspace
By The Associated Press
VILNIUS,Lithuania Russian military planesbriefly violated Lithuania’sairspace Thursday evening, the Lithuanian president said, condemning what he called ablatant breachofthe territorial integrity of his European Union and NATOmember country Lithuania’sforeign ministry planned to summon Russian Embassy representatives in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius to protest the violation, PresidentGitanas Nauseda said in apost on the social media platform X.
Putin directs drills of nuclear forces
MOSCOW— Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday directeddrills of the country’sstrategic nuclear forces that featured practice missile launches, an exercise thatcame as his planned summit on Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump was put on hold.
The Kremlin said that as part of themaneuvers involving all parts of Moscow’snuclear triad,a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from the Plesetsk launch facility in northwestern Russia, and aSineva ICBM was launchedbyasubmarinein theBarents Sea.The drills also involved Tu-95 strategic bombers firing long-range cruise missiles. The exercise tested the skills of military command
“This is ablatant breach of international law and territorial integrityofLithuania,” Nauseda wrote on X. “Once again, it confirms the importance of strengthening European air defensereadiness.”
There was no immediate commentfrom Moscow Baltic nations already have beenonheightened alertoverneighboringRussia’saggression onUkraine. And in recent weeks, aseries of mysteriousdrone incidents and airspace violations by Russianwar planes have fueled concerns that RussianPresident Vladi-
structures, the Kremlin said in astatement.
The chief of the military’s General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov,reported to Putin viavideolink that thedrills were intended to “practice procedures for authorizing the use of nuclearweapons.”
Putin, sitting alone at a round white table, faced big screens showing Gerasimov andDefense Minister AndreiBelousov.All three men would be involvedinlaunchingnuclear weapons in case of conflict.
U.K. arrests 3on suspicion ofspying
LONDON British counterterrorism policearrested three meninLondonon Thursday on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The MetropolitanPolice forcesaid that themen,ages 44, 45 and 48, were detained
mir Putin might be testing NATO’sdefensive reflexes. Moscow denies probing NATO’sdefenses.
The Lithuanian armed forces said in astatement that about 6p.m. local time on Thursday,two Russian militaryaircraft flew into Lithuanian airspacefor about 765 yards. The SU-30 aircraft and IL-78 refueling aircraft flew away after roughly 18 seconds.
The Lithuanian armed forces believe themilitary planes might have been conducting refueling exercises in the neighboring Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
at addresses in thecityunder the National Security Act “on suspicionofassisting aforeign intelligenceservice.”
Police said that the country in question is Russia
The force saidthat officers were searching several Londonproperties in connection with the investigation.
British authorities allege that Russia is conducting an increasingly bold campaign of espionage, sabotage and cybermeddling against the U.K.
Lastweek the head of the MI5 security service, Ken McCallum, alleged that Russia “is committed to causing havoc and destruction.
“Inthe last year,weand the police have disrupted asteadystream of surveillance plots with hostile intent aimedatindividuals Russian leaders perceive as their enemies,” he said. Associated Press
TwoSpanish fighterjets, which had been doing NATO air policing missions, were scrambled and flew out to thearea.
Earlier on Thursday,Nauseda attended asummit at theEuropean Council building in Brusselswhere EU leadersendorseda planto ensure that Europe can defenditself againstanoutside attack by theend of the decade.The plan is dubbed Readiness 2030.
the impact. The sanctions don’ttake effect foralmostamonth, until Nov.21, potentially giving Putin achancefor a change of heart.
Chris Weafer,CEO of the Macro-Advisory Ltd. consultancy,said “that’sawindow where they hope Russia will moreseriously engage,and if it does,thenthose sanctions could be suspended.”
“You can be sure that every oil buyer in Asia today is trying to find anything that floats that they can buy Russianoil before that sanction kicksin,”WeafertoldThe Associated Press from London. “And therefore, Russia will sell alot of oilinthe next 30 days, which probably will help the budget for afew months.”
He also noted that, unlike the European sanctions, the U.S. measures carry the threat of secondary penalties against anyone violating them.China and India are major importers of Russian oil.
The effectiveness of economic sanctions in forcing Putin’shand is questionable, analysts say. Russia’seconomyhas proved resilient so far, althoughitisshowing signs of strain.
The newEUmeasures also target Russian oil and gas. They ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas into the bloc, and add port bans on
more than100 newships in the Russian shadow fleet of hundreds of aging tankers that are dodging sanctions. Thelatest sanctions bring the total number of such ships to be banned to 557. The measures also target transactionswithacryptocurrency increasingly used by Russia to circumvent sanctions; prohibit operations in the bloc using Russian payment cards and systems; restrict the provision of artificialintelligenceservices and high-performance computing services to Russian entities; and widen an export ban to include electronic components, chemicals and metals used in military manufacturing. Anew system forlimiting the movement of Russian diplomats within the 27-nation EU will also be introduced.
The U.S. sanctions came after Trumpsaid that his plan for aswift meeting with Putin in Budapest was on hold because he didn’t want it to be a“waste of time.” It wasthe latest twist in Trump’shot-and-coldefforts to end the warasPutin refuses to budge from his demands.
Putindeplored the U.S. sanctions as an “unfriendly act” that would damage relations with Washington and said thatMoscow wouldn’t yield to pressure.
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Musk hijacks Tesla call to vouch for pay plan
Elon Musk, the world’srichest person, spent the end of Tesla Inc.’searnings call pleading with investors to approve his $1 trillion pay package and blastingthe shareholder advisory firmsthat have come out against the proposal.
“There needs to be enough voting control to give astrong influence, but not so much that Ican’t be fired if Igoinsane,”Musksaid, interrupting his chief financial officer as themorethanhourlong call wrapped up.
It was classic Musk: Afiery end to what had otherwise been aho-hum call largelydevoted to Tesla’s artificial intelligence, humanoidrobotand self-driving initiatives. Shareholderswillvote on thepay packageatTesla’s Nov. 6annual meeting in Austin.
Tesla’searningsreport was largely disappointing, with profit missing estimates despite record vehicle deliveries. Operatingincomeplunged 40%inthe third quarter,reflectingongoing strains on an electric-vehicle business that’sbeing buffeted by changing U.S. policies
Costs are rising sharplyfor Tesla, with tariffstakinga more than $400 million toll on last quarter’sresults. Operating expenses soared 50%to$3.4billioninthe period. Proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis have recommendedthat investors reject the unprecedented payout to Musk, the value of which is dependent on Tesla reaching market value thresholds and operational milestones. ISS cited “unmitigated concerns” with the magnitude and design of the award, while Glass Lewis took issuewith itspotentialtodilute other shareholders’ ownership.
Mortgage rates at lowest level in more than ayear Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in more than ayear, easing affordability concerns for homebuyers.
Theaveragefor 30-year,fixed loans was 6.19%, downfrom 6.27% last week and thelowest since early October 2024, data from Freddie Mac show Falling rates have given house hunters more buying power, but demand has been constrained by affordability challenges. Plus, there’sanxiety over the economic outlook due to the ongoing government shutdown and President Donald Trump’stariff negotiations. Nearly 15% of purchase agreements in September were canceled, up from 13.6% ayear earlier,according to areport from Redfin. Deals are collapsing most often in SunBelt markets like Tampa, Florida, and San Antonio as buyers back out, often during the inspection period.
In September,new home sales rose 3.1% from the previous month to 716,416ona seasonally adjusted annualized basis, but remainedflat from ayear earlier,according to data from Zonda, which tracks newhome production.
Rivian to reportedly lay off more than 600 Electric vehicle makerRivian reportedly plans to layoff more than 600 workers as it looks to trim costs. The Wall Street Journal reported Rivian plans to cut about 4% of its totalworkforce, which at the end of last year was nearly 15,000 people. The company is lookingto reduce costs as it is preparing to start production of alower priced crossover,known as the R2, and it facesstiff headwinds caused by economic uncertaintyand reduced governmentsupport for the consumer transition to EVs.
The Journal report cited unnamed people with knowledge of the matter
In September,Rivian held aceremonial groundbreakingtomark the start of verticalconstruction of its planned EV factory about an hour east of Atlanta. The factory and promised 7,500 jobs have been delayed for years as the company hasweathered supply chainissues andsteep financial losses, but the company has insisted it will build the plant and meet its jobs and investment promises.
Wall Street nearsrecordhigh
BY STAN CHOE
Associated Press
NEW YORK U.S. stocksrose to thecusp of their records on Thursday,asthe S&P500 climbed0.6%and creptback within 0.2% of itsall-time high set earlier this month.
The DowJones Industrial Averageadded 144 points, or 0.3%, andfinished just below its own record setearlierthis week while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.9%.
Companiesinthe oil and gas business led theway,including gains of 1.1% for Exxon Mobil, 3.1% forConocoPhillips and 3.4% forDiamondback Energy
They rose with prices for crude, which leaped roughly 5.5% after President Donald Trump announced sanctions against Russian oilgiants Rosneft and Lukoil.
Also helping to drive thestock market higher were strong profit reportsfrom several big U.S. companies,asthe reporting season ramps up for theirprofits during thesummer.
Themajority are topping Wall Street’sforecasts, as is usually the case.
Dow jumped12.9%, andLas VegasSands rallied 12.4% after both delivered stronger earnings thananalysts expected. Teslashook offanearly loss to climb2.3% after reporting a weaker profit butalsostronger revenue for the latest quarter than analystsexpected.
The pressureisoncompanies broadly to deliver solid growth in profits. That wouldcounter criticism that theirstock prices shot too high following a35%
romp for the S&P 500 from alow in April. On thelosing end of Wall Street, Molina Healthcare tumbled17.5% after its profit for thelatest quarter fell well short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Joseph Zubretsky cited achallenging environment formedical costs, and insurers across theindustry havebeen warningabout rising medical costs throughout theyear IBM fell0.9%,despite reporting better profit andrevenue than analysts expected. Wall Street focused instead on weaker-than-expected results for itsRed Hat business, which provides open-sourcesoftware products.
In thegold market, prices strengthened to halt asharp recent slide. The price for an ounce climbed 2% to $4,145.60 per ounce.
Manyofthe factorsthathave sent gold on itsmonumental rise are still around, including concernsabout the mountains of debt that the U.S. and other governments worldwide are amassing. The U.S. government’s gross national debt topped $38 trillion on Wednesday,and the worry is thata continued acceleration will only worsen inflation.
In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasuryrose to 4.00% from 3.97% late Wednesday That was ahead of areport coming on Friday that will show howmuchinflation U.S. consumers felt during September.The report was initially due earlier this month but was delayed because of theU.S.government’s shutdown.
Oilpricesjumpafter sanctionsonRussia
BY MATT OTT Associated Press
WASHINGTON Oil prices spiked
Thursday after the U.S. announced massivenew sanctions on Russia’s oilindustry in an attempttoget Russian President Vladimir Putin to thenegotiating tableand end Moscow’sbrutal waronUkraine.
U.S. benchmark crude jumped 5.6% to $61.79 per barrel andanalystssay if the situation remains static, U.S. consumers will soon be paying more at the pump.
Patrick De Haan,head of petroleumanalysis forGasBuddy,said while it was difficulttopredictwith certaintybecause of the number of moving parts, consumers will likely seeabump in prices as early as next week, if not sooner
“We’ll probably start to see motorists be impacted by thesanctions at thepumpinthe next couple days and it might take five days for that to be fully passed along,” De Haan said, adding that the full impact also depends on whetherthe RussianorU.S. positions change.
“Russiawill feel pressure to come to the table in light of the new developments or President Trumpmay react when he sees oil prices rising to levels that become uncomfortable, so Idon’tthink this is going to be very long lasting,” De Haan said.
Oil prices have been relatively low for the past fewyears andlast week the cost for barrel of U.S. bench-
markcrude fell below $57, its lowest levelsince early2021. The price for abarrel of U.S. benchmark crude did rise near $79 abarrel early this year,just before President Donald Trumptookoffice,apricenot necessarily considered outrageously elevated by mostanalysts.
The broad, extended decline in oil prices pushedthe averagepricefor agallon of gas in the U.S. last week under $3 for the first time since December of last year,according to GasBuddy For much of 2025, inflation has been held mostly in check, partly due to cheaper prices at the pump. However,that could change quickly as higherenergy costs have a downstream effect on prices for virtually all products and services across industries.
“The impact to alot of Americans is that productsderived from crude,gasoline,diesel andjet fuel areall likely to seepriceincreases,” De Haan said.
The main reason oil and gas have stabilized at lowerlevelsthis year is that the group of countries that are part of the OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries have continuedtoboost production.Earlierthis month, OPEC+ leaders announced they would raiseoil production by 137,000 barrels per day in November,the sameamount announced forOctober.The group hasbeen raising output slightly in aseries of boosts all year after announcing cuts in 2023 and 2024.
MicrosoftintroducesAIavatarMico
AI companion that you can really feel.”
BYMATTO’BRIEN AP technologywriter
Clippy,the animated paper clip that annoyed MicrosoftOffice users nearly three decadesago,might have just been ahead of its time.
Microsoft introduced anew artificial intelligence character called Mico on Thursday, afloatingcartoon face shaped like ablob or flame that will embody thesoftwaregiant’s Copilotvirtual assistant and marks the latest attemptbytech companies to imbue their AI chatbots with more of apersonality.
Copilot’scute new emoji-like exterior comes as AI developers face acrossroadsin how they present their increasingly capable chatbotstoconsumerswithout causing harm or backlash
Some have opted for faceless symbols, others like Elon Musk’sxAI are selling flirtatious, humanlike avatars and Microsoft is looking for amiddleground that’sfriendlywithout being obsequious.
“When you talk about something sad, you can see Mico’sface change. Youcan see it dance around and move as it getsexcited with you,”saidJacob Andreou, corporate vice president of product and growthfor MicrosoftAI, in an interview withThe Associated Press. “It’s in this effort of really landing this
In the U.S. only so far,Copilot users on laptops and phone apps can speak to Mico, which changescolors, spins around andwears glasses when in “study” mode. It’salso easy to shut off, which is abig difference from Microsoft’s Clippit, better known as Clippy and infamous for itspersistence in offering advice on word processing tools when it first appearedon desktop screens in 1997.
“It was not well-attuned to user needs at the time,” saidBryan Reimer,a researchscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology “Microsoft pushed it, we resisted it and they got rid of it. Ithink we’re much more ready for things like that today.” Reimer,co-author of anew book called “HowtoMake AI Useful,” said AI developers arebalancing howmuchpersonality to give AI assistantsbased on who their expected usersare Tech-savvy adopters of advanced AI coding tools may want it to “act much morelike amachine because at thebackend they know it’s amachine,” Reimersaid. “But individuals who are not as trustful in amachine are going to be best supported—not replaced —bytechnology that feels alittle morelike ahuman.” Microsoft, aprovider of work productivity toolsthat is far less reliant on digital advertisingrevenue than itsBig Tech competitors, also haslessincentive to makeits AI companionoverlyengaging in away that’s beentied to social isolation, harmful misinformation
and, in some cases, suicides. Andreou said the companion’sdesign is meanttobe“genuinely useful” and not so validating that it would “tell us exactly what we want to hear,confirm biaseswealready have, or even suck you in from atime-spent perspective andjust trytokind of monopolize and deepen the session and increase the time you’re spending with these systems.”
“Being sycophantic —short-term, maybe has auser respond more favorably,” Andreou said. “But long term,it’sactually not moving that person closer to their goals.”
Microsoft’sproduct releases Thursday include anew option to invite Copilot into a group chat, an idea that resembles how AI has been integrated into social media platforms like Snapchat, whereAndreou usedtowork, or Meta’sWhatsApp and Instagram. But Andreou said those interactions have often involvedbringing in AI as ajoketo“trollyour friends,” in contrast to Microsoft’sdesigns foran“intensely collaborative”AI-assisted workplace.
Microsoft’saudienceincludes kids,aspart of itslongtime competition withGoogle and othertechcompaniestosupplyits technology to classrooms. Microsoft also Thursday added afeature to turn Copilot into a“voice-enabled, Socratictutor” that guidesstudentsthrough concepts they’re studying.
Agrowing number of kids use AI chatbots foreverything —homeworkhelp, personal advice, emotional support and everyday decision-making.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByDAMIAN DOVARGANES
An animation shows aCopilot avatar called Mico floating around an abstract environment on Wednesday during apresentation at Microsoft’s Fall 2025 CopilotSessions event in Los Angeles.
Acadiana charitiesseekfood donations
SNAP fundingcutsprompturgentneed
BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer
Lafayette-based charities are requesting food donations ahead of expected funding shortfalls in theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due to the ongoing government shutdown
The Salvation Army of Lafayette and Catholic Charities of Acadiana are asking residents to donate food before Nov
1, when SNAP benefits will end.
SNAP,sometimes called food stamps, is afederal program that provideslowincomepeople monthly benefits to afford healthyfood. Fundsfor theprogram are allocated monthly, so October benefits wentout as usual despite thegovernment shutdown.
However,the U.S. Departmentof
‘I
alwaysknew he wasbright’
IQ society
BYSTEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
If it has something to do with dragons, Grant Simoneauxisall in He’snodifferentfrom manyother 10-year-olds in that regard. He loves reading fantasy and fiction books and watching science and creator YouTubers.
What makes Grantdifferent from other 10-year-olds isthat he was recently accepted into Mensa, an international society for people with high IQs.
“Weknew that there was something different with him. At 4years old, he toldmehewantedtobeanelectrocardiologist,”saidStevenSimoneaux, Grant’sfather
He was formally accepted into Mensa afterscoring in the99.8th percentile in his gifted test at the Acadiana Renaissance CharterAcademy.The school told Simoneauxhis sonwould qualify for Mensa if they turned in the results.
Grant’sreaction to thenews might be somewhat expected.
“OK. I’m in Mensa. I’m going to keep reading now,” he said.
As far as becominganelectrocardiologist, that plan has changed. He’s nowstumped on whether to become alawyer or amolecular biologist, he said, before reciting the highestnumberheknows, which is 10 tothe power of 45 minus 1, or awhole lot of nines. Mensa, the Latin word for table, is named forthe organization’sround-
table philosophy of equality.The societyaccepts anyone whoscoresinthe top 2% of the general population on an approved intelligence test.Its membership includes about 150,000 people from about 100 countries. There are around 40,000 members in America, ranging in age from 2to102.
Grant’sfavorite classes are math andscience. Whenheisn’tinschool, he spends mostofhis free time readingfantasy books. He canreadabout abook aday andfinishesatleastfour larger books amonth.
His favorite series are “Percy Jackson” and “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
When he’snot reading, he spends his time unlike mostkids his age. He said
Sixcandidatesinvited to applyfor LSUpresident post Search panel narrowsdown list of 30
CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT
and McNeese State
University President Wade Rousse. Search firm SSA Consultants presentedthe committeewith alistof30interested people, and arranged them into differentlevelsofqualification. At the end of Thursday’smeeting, the committeevoted 11-4toinvite ahalf-dozentoapply,including Lee; Rousse; Julius Fridriksson, vicepresident of research at the University of South Carolina; Giovanni Piedimonte, vice presidentofresearch at Tulane;
and Dr.Robert Robbins, former president of theUniversity of Arizona. Asixth person on the list whose name and background information remained confidential was invited to apply,should they publicly identify themselves by Wednesday, when interviews are scheduled. Opening the meeting, Chair Scott Ballard said the meeting marked “a pivotal moment in our process.” “Ourdiscussion today will
moveuscloser to the interview phase, where we’ll have the opportunity to engagedirectly withthose whose leadership qualities and experiences align most closelywith our priorities as asystem,” he said. Christel Slaughter,president andCEO of search firmSSA Consultants, said the firm reached out to more than 30 people, with 17 of them at Southeastern Conference schools.
ä See LSU, page 4B
Lafayette-based charities, including the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, are requesting food donations ahead of expected funding shortfalls in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Longtime UL dean dies
Perezremembered forher kindness
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer
Margarita Perez, associatevicepresidentfor studentaffairsand dean of students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, diedWednesdayevening following along illness, according to a statement from UL interim President Jaimie Hebert. Perez was 50 years old.
“Her passing leaves aprofound void in the life of ouruniversity and in the hearts of those who knewher,” Hebert said.
Anative of New Orleans, Perez was agraduate of Mount Carmel Academy.She earned abachelor’sdegree in history andsecondary educationfromLoyola University and amaster’sdegree in higher education administration from the University of New Orleans. She later receivedadoctoral degreeineducational leadership from UL Perez spent more than 25 years in highereducation andstudent affairs, including thepast decadeatUL, according to the statement.
“She was an extraordinary leader who served with empathy,integrity andanunwavering focusonstudent well-being,” Hebert said. “Her work touched nearly everypartofcampus life and shaped the experiences of thousandsofstudents. Bothprofessionally and personally,Margarita always exudedkindness and care.She foundno greater joy than celebrating thesuccess
See PEREZ, page 4B
reports
Alate-night high-speed chase in Lafayette cametoa safe endafter officers usedspike strips to stopthe vehicle The pursuit resulted in twoarrests, Lafayette police told KADN. Deniah Boutte, 18, faces counts of aggravated flight from an officer,reckless operation of avehicle and two outstanding warrants, according to booking records. Her bail is set at $60,000. Clifford Robinson,25, facesacount of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His bail is set at $25,000. Authorities said the pursuit began after an officer tried to pull over aspeeding vehicle about 11 p.m.Tuesday They said the driver refused to stop until being forced to by the spike strips on Northeast Evangeline Thruway near the railroad tracks.
Police didn’treport where the chase startedorhow long it lasted butsaid there were no injuries.
STAFFFILE PHOTO
By JAVIER GALLEGOS
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
Grant Simoneaux, 10, sits in aclassroom whiletalking about his acceptance into Mensa International, theoldest high IQ society,atAcadiana Renaissance Charter Academy on Mondayinyoungsville.
Keep electionsopenand trustthe people
As Louisiana’s lieutenantgovernorand, more importantly aproud Louisianan, I’ve seen firsthand how our state’s unique election system brings people together at atime when our country feels more divided than ever For nearly 50 years, Louisiana has done things differently.Wehold one open election for everyone, regardless of party.All voters and all candidates share the same ballot. It’s not some quirky local tradition —it’s one of the main reasons Louisiana has avoided the kind of bitter polarization gripping so much of America. Research backs that up.The Unite America Institute found Louisiana’sopen primary system leads to more meaningful participation, less ideological extremism
Nungesser
and better results in government —especially in areas that matter most, likehealth and education. When elected officials aren’t catering to asmall group of party voters in closed primaries, they can focus on solving problems affectingeveryone. We’re far from perfect, but by many measures,Louisiana punches above itsweight. Ourelection system is a bigreason why Despite that success, some political insiders are trying to change it. During aspecial session in early 2024, the Legislature rushed through alaw that brings back partyprimaries for several major electionsstartingin2026. Under this new system, Republicansand Democrats will have separate primaries. No Party voterscan pick one party’sballot, but members of recognized third
Earlycancer detectioncan save lives
parties can’tparticipate at all. The change covers elections for Congress, theLouisiana Supreme Court, BESEand the Public Service Commission.
That’sa major shift from what Louisianans have known for nearly half acentury —trading simplicityand fairness for complexityand confusion.
Somefolks pushing this change say theopen system is a“relic of thepast,” and only party members should get asay in who runs. Imust disagree —respectfully but strongly.Webuilt Louisiana’s modernRepublican Party under theopen primary system.It worked because it forced us to talk to everybody,not just people wearing the same jersey.That’s how you earn trust in astate like ours. The reason conservatives have astrong majority today is because we had to campaign
across every parish, every communityand every kitchen table. The open system madeusbetter candidates, better leaders and, ultimately,itmade Louisiana stronger Andlet’sbeclear —the people of Louisiana overwhelmingly agree.
Astatewide JMC Analytics poll earlier this year found 71% of voters favor the open primary system.That support crosses every political, regional and age line. Even among Republicans, 72% prefer the open system to just 20% whodon’t. That’snot aclose call; that’salandslide of public opinion What worries me mostisn’t just that closed primaries are unpopular,it’sthat mostpeople don’t even know the change is coming. That same poll found only 34% of Louisianans are aware of the new law; 65% are not. Imagine
the frustration when voters show up in 2026 and learn they can’t vote the waythey always have. Rolling out asystem mostpeople don’tunderstand will only create confusion, anger and mistrust. Why would we risk that when the system we already have works so well?
Louisiana’sopen primary puts voters first. It gives every citizen the freedom to vote forthe best candidate, not just the mostpartisan one. It keeps our leaders accountable to all Louisianans and it’shelped our state stay more united than manyothers in this divided time.
Let’sprotect the system that works. Let’skeep Louisiana’s elections open —and respect the will of the people whomake this state great.
Billy NungesserisLouisiana’s lieutenant governor
Every year that passes, Ivaluemygood health moreand more. Ihavedoneeverythingthe experts recommendto stay healthy.Iwork out fivetimes aweek, attend my annual physicals, followuponevery recommended screening and, thankfully,mywife prepares healthy meals forme. Untilrecently,mydoctors had never found anythingconcerning, and Ifeltconfident thatI was doingeverything possible to stay well —until asimple blood test changed everything Ihad the opportunity to take anew multicancer early detection blood test.I pursued this test not because Isuspectedanything waswrong,but becauseI’m passionate about advancing innovation and cancer detection for all. To my complete surprise,the test detected cancer in my kidneys, something none of my routine checkupshad revealed.
Because the test found thecancer in theearly stages, doctors wereable to act quickly.They confirmed the diagnosis,removed thecancer before it spread andspared me from what could have been years or even alifetime of grueling treatments or,worse, alate-stage cancer diagnosis with few treatment options.
Iwas lucky enough to catch the cancerearly,but most people don’tfind out theyhave kidneycanceruntil it is already in advanced stages. Kidney cancerdoesnot fall under ameaningful screeningstrategy, makingitverydifficult to diagnose before it enters the late stages.Bythat time,itcan be much harder —and moreexpensive —to treat. Multi-cancer early detection gavemeachance to catch it early via asimple blood test, when it wasmost treatable. And today,I’m here to tellmystory because of it.
This experience has changed me. We all need to be advocatingfor access to early detectiontools,especially the promiseofMCED tests. These tools arerevolutionary, and Ihope to see aday when access to them will be guaranteed for those at the greatest risk of developing cancer. Once you’ve seen firsthand how powerful MCED can be, you realizehow many lives could besaved if we hadapolicy environment that ensured access. Today,Medicare only covers early screenings fora handfulofcancers, despite thefact that ageisthe single greatest risk factorand 59% of all new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. occurinindividuals 65 and older. This needstochange. Fortunately,Congress has areal opportunity to make this happen.The Nancy Gardner Sewell MedicareMulti-Cancer Early Detection Screening CoverageAct would allowfor meaningful Medicarecoverage of thesetests once they receive FDA approval,soseniors can have the chance to detect cancer early when it is most treatableand cost-effective. With bipartisan support already reaching ahistoric two-thirds majority in both theHouse andSenate, passing this legislation will ensure that coverage authorityisin place and prevent years of unnecessarydelay forpatients who could benefit from these breakthroughtests. The benefits go far beyondindividual patients. Cancer care costs billions of dollars each year,with muchspent on late-stage diagnosis, exceeding $245 billion by 2030. Investing in early detection can save lives,reducecosts and lessen the burden on families and ourhealth care system. Ioften think about what would have happened if Ihadn’t taken that test. Instead, Igot asecondchance. EveryAmerican deserves thatsame opportunity,and Congress hasthe power to make that happen.
It has been said that alie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.
Well, the truthabout Louisiana’sshrimping industry and its recent challenges can now be explained as a result of President Donald Trump’stariffs taking effect.
busted withthe implementation of Trump’srobust tariffs on imported shrimp. Tariffs help level the playing field by ensuring that imported shrimpdoes not have an unfair advantage over domestically harvested seafood.
Environmental activists have been eager toblame liquefied natural gas companies for asharp drop in shrimpprices. But, despite theclaims of activists,the drop in prices is not aresult of declining qualityorsupply of Louisiana’s product,oreven alack of skilled workers —far from it. Rather,it was the direct result of foreign producers, including Asia, flooding the market withcheaply farmed shrimp, often raised under conditionsthat would not meet American environmental or health standards
In 1980, theU.S. imported 250 million pounds of shrimp at an average price of $10 per pound. In 2022, the U.S. imported two billion pounds of shrimp and prices plummeted to just $4.30 per pound and kept dropping. The false narrative promoted by out-of-state climate activists that thedrop is due to theoil and gas industry in the Gulf is now being
Shrimpers say so themselves, andhave welcomed Trump’stariffs, including the recent 25%tariff on India —one of themaincountries sending cheap,low-quality shrimpour way and driving down prices.
Oneshrimper told alocal news outlet recently: “If they keep importing and importing, you’re steadily putting workers out of work here. Andgetting food from overseas, sooner or later,everything is going to be from overseas. And where does that leave the country?” He’sright. Maintaining aviable domestic industry brings benefits that far outweigh pennies added at thecheckout counter.Supporting local shrimpers meanssupporting local economies, preserving jobs and ensuring that the seafood on our tables is healthy,sustainable and traceable to responsible sources. Most importantly, it keeps alive the intricate web of culture, tradition and community that defines Louisiana. The energy industry’spresence
along the Gulf Coast has also been asource of partnership, mutual prosperity and stability formany of our fishing families. LNGfacilities, forexample, have becomeeconomic engines in Plaquemines, Cameron and Calcasieu parishes, creating thousands of jobs and supporting the consumer base forshrimpers and local businesses alike.
And with Trump’stariffs in place, while it will take timefor the impact of the tariffs to be felt fully,we are already beginning to see signs of prices moving back in the right direction toward where they were before the market wasflooded with imports.
Iurge every reader to consider the true cost of what’sontheir plate. Behind each pound of Louisiana shrimpisastory —ofhard work, of family,ofendurance through hurricanes and hardship. By supporting tariffs on imported shrimp and the growth and development of America’senergy industry,weensure that these stories continue, that our coastal communities remain strong and that Louisiana’slegacy as America’sseafood heartland endures forgenerations to come.
KevinFord is alifelong fisherman based in Louisiana and thehost of “Let’sGeaux Fishin’ withKevin Ford.”
Kevin Ford GUEST COLUMNIST
STAFFFILE PHOTO
Shrimp and fishing boats berthed at amarina in Port Fourchon.
COMMENTARY
Aspotted lanternfly flies past President Donald TrumpasheboardsAir Force OneinSeptember
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByALEX BRANDON
ISSUE OF THE WEEK TRUMP’S LEGACy
President Donald Trump has prompteda wide variety of responses.Supporters sayhis takingthe reins of government to makebold changesisnecessaryinthis moment. Critics point to his coarse style and willingness totramplerulesand norms long followedbyleaders of the nation.Though it’sstill earlyinhis second term, some wonder howhistory will evaluate this president. His achievements —likethe historic peace dealinGaza —havewon praise.But aprotestmovement has sprung up decrying Trump’sactions as those of atyrant. Here are two perspectives:
Learnthe lessonsabout presidents from history
People who are protesting and complaining that President Donald Trumpisbehaving like adictator apparently skipped history classes or took them at liberal universities where professorshave rewrittenthe subject to conform to their worldview.
Someone who is doing what history teachers used to do may surprise you. He is Mark Levin, who hosts a daily syndicated radioprogram and weekend programs on Fox News Channel. Watch and listenifyou are skeptical.
Last weekend, Levinreminded his audience that somewho areregarded as some of our best presidents did things far worse thanwhatTrumpis accused of doing.
Surprising reincarnation of Trumpasastatesman
Cal Thomas
Levin reminded us thatJohnAdams,one of America’s Founding Fathers, imprisoned several citizens under the Sedition Act, including four journalists. TheInsurrection Act was used by Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S.Grant (Grant put down the Ku Klux Klan in the South). These and other presidents used the military to achieve political and social objectives.
AbrahamLincoln “shut down pro-peace newspapers, or papersthought to be sympathetic to the Confederacy during the Civil War. He suspended habeas corpus Only Congress can do that.” Lincoln also “confiscated printing materials and sometimesimprisoned reporters, editors and publishers.” Woodrow Wilson, “a favoriteofthe Democrats, was aracist and abigot. He believed in eugenics.Healso passed the Espionage Act in 1917 and aSeditionAct in 1918, so opponents of Wilson were charged and imprisoned on ascale never seen in American history.” These included 2,000 people, 1,200 of whom were imprisoned, among them “the Socialist candidate for presidentofthe United States.” Franklin Roosevelt, saysLevin,“hada war against the press.” He establishedthe Federal Communications Commissionin 1934 and reducedthe length of broadcast radio licenses from three years tosix months to make sure they“abide(d)bythe policies of the government.” Levin notes FDR “appointed apolitical confidant to run the IRS. He would order this director to conduct auditsonpolitical
opponents and newspaper publishers.” He also “ordered the IRS to lay off ayoung congressman they were investigating (named)Lyndon Johnson.” Want more? “AtFDR’sdirection,” says Levin, “SenateDemocrats subpoenaed tens of thousands of telegrams from Western Union because they thought it was run by Republicans.” President Kennedy,says Levin, “appointed aloyalist to be IRS Commissioner and he would routinely read tax filings of political opponents,people...who were wealthy for thefun of it...and leak(ed) to Ben Bradley,” who wrote for Newsweek magazine and later became editor at The Washington Post.
Lyndon Johnson, says Levin,“used the IRS, theFBI, theCIA...and went after his politicalopponents, businesses, publishers. He spied on the Goldwater campaign andhad bugs by theFBI placed in the Goldwater headquarters.” Johnson also ordered the phones of Martin Luther King Jr.and other Black civil rights leaders to be bugged
Barack Obama, about whom so many say was free of scandal, had his Justice Department subpoena and seize “20 Associated Press phone lines used by 100 reporters,”says Levin, “and communications between reporters and the CIA.” Levinchronicled so manymore actions ordered by mostly Democrat presidents that taken together,orindividually,pale in comparison to President Trump’seffortsto upholdthe law.Levin calls Democrats the real authoritarians. “They’re theones who reject the outcomes of elections...they’re theones who seek to change the citizenry of this country because they don’tmuch like the way that we voteand that way they can pick up morecongressional seats...And if they can’tlet’sget rid of the Electoral College so only the11or12most populous states, almost all of which are Democrat, (will) control thecountry,and we’ll call it democracy.”
Probably no history teacher,ifthey get aroundtothe subject,calls any of those former presidents or today’sDemocrat party“dictators.”
Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub. com.
Every now and then, President Donald Trumpsurprises us by acting statesmanlike, usually justbefore he doesn’t. Recently there was acase in point, as the president and Middle Eastern leaders gathered in Egypt to sign the Trump peace plan to end the war in Gaza. History,meanwhile, is no friend to truces between generations-long antagonists. Palestinians and Israelis have been at odds since agroup of geniuses at the United Nations decided in 1947 that Palestine should share its land with Jews, thereby creating the state of Israel. This partition plan, though supported by Western countries as well as the Soviet Union, was opposed by Arab nations,six of which staged awalkout in protest during the GeneralAssembly vote(33-13). The rest, as they say,is well known. After Hamas was elected in 2006 to govern the Palestinian people, it devoted itself to creating aterrorist stateaimed at destroying Israel, amission realized in the horrors of the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion. And now, at last, adeclaration of peace?
Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu was willing to go to destroy Hamas, regardless of the cost to civilians and innocents.
In announcing the signing of his eponymous peace declaration, Trump was the president we’ve been waiting for. He spoke eloquently and stayed on point He was deferential, humble and respectful toward leaders from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey,who had joined him for the signing. The war and the unforgettable images of men, women and children being kidnapped, raped and tortured were too much to bear for anyonewith an ounce of empathy.That the aftermath lasted two years, resulting in widespread starvation and the deaths of an estimated 67,000 Palestinians, is atestament to the power of hatred on one side and alust for justice on theother Biblical is theword that comes to mind. Miraculous is another,considering Trump’sachievement in ending the conflict. More than afeather in his cap, the peace declaration is agift to the Middle East and the world.
Civilized people elsewhere might have abhorred the lengths to which
Americans surely know that under similar circumstances —our friends and children being murdered during a concert and entire families kidnapped from their homes —the United States would have done the same, only faster and with more shock and awe. It is almost too muchtohope for success in the coming days and weeks. We’ve seen this movie too many times. But Trump’s triumph in ending hostilities and articulating acooperative missionfor peace, security and dignity for all is historic. Before news broke of the declaration, Iheard myself saythat if Trump could end the war and get the hostages released, he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. It’stoo late for this year,but past recipients have received the prize for muchless. Alas, Trump wasn’t15minutes into his speech when he morphed from Winston Churchill into Fidel Castro who was known for his meandering, hourslong stem-winders. As soon as Trump started pounding Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, he lost muchofhis audience. What awaste of his greatest moment. Does his base still need to hate Democrats to keep the venom flowing? Democrats are not muchbetter.With few exceptions, many of them lauded the declaration while studiously avoiding mention of Trump. What utter childishness from adults who presume to lead. Trump remains the worst offender because we expect the most from apresident. He couldn’t pause his ego long enough to accept and enjoy his glory with humility,thereby bringing the world to its feet in admiration. For such times, Isuppose, we rely upon the mute button. But wouldn’titbe nice, instead, if someone could whisper in Trump’sear that genius is knowing when to stop. That might just appealto him.
Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.
Kathleen Parker
Luneau says he won’tchallenge Cassidy
Democratsstill seeking aSenate candidate
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Will Louisiana’sDemocratic Party field aviable candidate in next year’sU.S. Senate election?
That question emerged Thursday after asecond major Democrat passed on joining acrowded field of Republicans who are challenging the reelection bid of U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy.It’snot clear
which Democrat might step up. Demo cra ts hopeditwould be state Sen. Jay Luneau, of Alexandria, who during his 10 years in office, has been a forceful advocate for Democratic issues. But Luneau said no.
Cassidy Luneau
“I just don’tthink federal politics are what Iwant,” he said Thursday.“It’s so partisan in D.C., even worse than here. That’sthe thing Ilike least about serving in the Senate,the partisanship.”
Luneau’sanno un ce me nt comes nearly two weeks afterformer Democratic Gov.JohnBel Edwards said he would bypass the race. Randal Gaines, who chairsthe Louisiana DemocraticParty,saidhehasn’t given up on finding acandidate.
“Weare in the process of recruiting ayoung candidate who can build afuture and wants to takeonachallenge,” Gaines said. “Wedon’thave adeep bench.”
Luneau said he considered making therace but decided that he faced atough path to victory in a state where no Democrat haswon afederal election sincethen-U.S.
Sen. Mary Landrieu won reelection in 2008. She lost her seat to Cassidy in 2014. Luneau also did not relish the attacks any candidate would face. “Politics are so dirty now,” he said. “Before, you were afraid someonewould dig up some skeleton in your closet. Nowyou’re afraid they’llmakeupa skeleton in an imaginary closet.”
Luneau, whohas been the foremost advocatefor triallawyers
Thursday MardiGrasparades in N.O. getearlier start
BY DOUG MacCASH Staffwriter
Never mind Halloween
On Thursday,the New OrleansCityCouncilwas already busy with Mardi Gras. The council voted to start astring of parades early,to greenlight the expansion of an Uptown float den,and to nameanintersection after arenownedBlack Masking
LSU
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Background stressed
The meeting began at 1:30 p.m. and the final vote occurred around5 p.m. after alengthy executive session in which the committee discussed candidates. When the committee returned, it ultimately voted for two motions. The first, an amended motion introduced by LSU Board of Supervisorsmember James Williams, narrowed the field to require all potential candidates to identify themselves by Wednesday
‘BRIGHT’
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he recently tried to figure out the Schwarzschild radius of an object.
“It was areally complicated equation,” Grant said. “It’show small you can make somethingbefore it turns into ablack hole.” His father works in the oilfield. His stepmother is an arts teacher at ARCA He has one sibling and two stepsiblings, which he said are great, but don’ttend to like the same things as him.
“I always knew he was bright. But this accomplishment is huge forhim,” Simoneaux said. “Itopens thedoors to other ways of learning. If I’m trying to convince him of something, nine times out of 10, I’m probably wrong.”
Email Stephen Marcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.
BLOTTER
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Teen arrested in shooting
ALafayette teen has been booked in aCypress Street shooting that took place earlier this month Lafayette police say a17-year-old has been booked with attempted second-degree murder in ashooting Oct. 5inthe 100 block of Cypress Street. Police were already in that area around midnight responding to alarge fight near Jefferson Street when agunshot was fired. Officers found aman wounded and provided aid until paramedics arrived. He was taken to ahospital and initially was listed in stable condition.
Indian Mardi Gras is, of course, apassion in the Crescent City,amajor industry anda bigpart of its international identity,soit’snever too soon to getdown to Carnival business. The big party kicks off in just 74 days. With threepopular parades —Chaos,Babylon andMuses —the Thursday night before MardiGrasis oneofthe busiest times of
It narrowly passed,8-7. Thesecond motion specified the list of people the committee invited.Committee members Clarence Cazalot, KennethSchafer Olivia Phelps and Daniel Tirone voted against it
Earlier at themeeting, two university professors urged the committee to prioritizecandidates with strong educational backgrounds
LSU Boyd Professor R. Eugene Turner,who studies oceanography and coastal sciences, urgedthe committeetoselect acandidate with astrong background in highereducation “The new president must
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Agriculture, whichoversees SNAP benefits, said earlier this month that there will not be enough funding to pay all benefits forNovember if the shutdown continues.
On Wednesday,Gov.Jeff Landry said there will be no newbenefits on Nov.1unless aresolution is passed to continuefunding the federal government.
Nearly 850,000 people in Louisiana received SNAP benefits eachmonth in2024, according to the latest numbers available. Astate administeredprogram paidfor by the federal government provides money to help cover the cost of groceries forlow-income peoplebased on incomeand family size. A family of four receivesupto $994 per month.
More than 40,000 people in Lafayette Parish rely on SNAP benefits, or 18% of the population, according to 2024 data from the Louisiana Department of Childrenand Family Services.Lafayette fares much better than the surrounding parishes,which see nearly 20% of their populations on federal food assistance benefits. In St.Landry Parish, almost 30% of its population relies on SNAP
“Ourconcern is forfamilies, seniors, and working individuals who arealready struggling to makeends meet, knowing that they will feel theseeffects most acutely,” aspokespersonfor Catholic Charities wroteina Facebookpost.
The SalvationArmyisalso asking for food and diaper donations at 212 Sixth St. in Lafayette. Agiveaway will be heldfrom 9a.m.to12p.m. on Monday.A photo ID is required.
Catholic Charities drop-off locations include:
n Adrien’sSupermarket at 3842 W. CongressSt.
n Albertsonsat2863 AmbassadorCafferyParkway
n Champagne’s Market at 454 Heymann Blvd.
n Whole Foods Market at
the New Orleans Carnival season. The downside is that sometimes thelong train of floatscan drag into theevening later than planned.
At City Hall on Thursday,the City Council voted unanimously,7-0,tostart the evening an hour earlier,inhopes of allowing thelong procession to end at amore reasonable hour Beginningin2026, the trio of paradeswill kick
have arecord of significant, on-the-ground academic experience teaching and conducting research,”hesaid.
LSU Boyd Professor Suzanne Marchand, who teaches history,spoke in her individual capacity but said herthoughts were indicative of herfellow Boyd professors. She asked the committeetoprioritizea president withexperience in research scholarship.
“In seeking out coaches forour sporting teams, we alwayslook for persons of thehighest caliber and winning experience, no matter what part of thecountry they come from,” shesaid. “LSU’sresearch mission
4247 Ambassador Caffery Parkway
n Crossroads Collective at 1416 S. College Road
n Super 1Foods at 3916
N.E. Evangeline Thruway
215 W. Willow St., 3747 Ambassador CafferyParkway, 200 DestinationPointeLane and 2240 Ambassador Caffery Parkway
Regularand ongoing donations of shelf-stable items suchascanned vegetables, beans, rice, pasta, peanut butter andcereal are especially needed. All contributions will support FoodNet Food Bank, aprogramofCatholic Charities of Acadiana, which distributes groceries to families andindividuals experiencing foodinsecurityacross the eight-parishregion.
Email Stephen Marcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.
off at 4:30 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m. It’s hopedthat the change will getfloat riders, marching bands, spectators and first responders home earlier.
Themovewas prompted in part by the Thursdaybefore Carnival 2025, when the night’sproceedings were disruptedwiththe breakdown of an antique Chaos parade float that delayed theconclusion of the
deserves that same commitment to expert experience and excellence.”
Heightened security
Thursday’smeetingsaw significantlyheightened security,withmembers of theBaton Rouge Police Department andEastBatonRougeParish Sheriff’s Officestationedoutside,a checkpoint at the doors and wristbands required for attendees. At theprevious meeting, multiple students were arrested in aconfrontation that began when one refused to stopspeaking when hertimehad finished. Many of the same students andalumni spoke at
trailing Muses parade into thewee hours.
At the suggestion of the leadership of Chaos,Babylon and Muses, the CityCouncil also agreed to change the sequenceofthe threeparades In 2026, the sequencewill begin with Chaos, followed by Babylon and ending, as usual, withMuses.Inthe past,the lineup began with Babylon, followed by Chaos andMuses.
Thursday’s meeting,criticizing the arrests from thepreviousmeeting and urging the committeeto include the student body more in the process.
Scott Sonnier, aU.S.Navy veteran and current LSU student, said he protested andwas arrested at the previous meeting because he felt it wasvital to upholding American and university values. “I didn’tdoitfor attention or out of anger,”he said. “I did it because staying silent when the least amonguslosetheir voice, would be abetrayal of everything Ionceswore to defend.”
and their injured clients in the Senate, would not rule out possibly challenging Gov.Jeff Landry when he runs for reelection in 2027.
“But I’m notactively seeking it,” Luneau said. “I’dlove to have the job. But Idon’t knowifIcan beat Jeff, and Idon’tknow if Iwould run against him. Idon’t think he’s done abad joboverall.”
The major Republicans running against Cassidy arestate Treasurer JohnFleming, state Sen. Blake Miguez, Public ServiceCommissionerEric Skrmetta and St. TammanyParish Council member Kathy Seiden.
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of others —colleagues and students alike. Margarita madeadifference. Through her smile, her openness, her willingness to makeeveryone feel seen, heard and included, Margarita was agift we all shared. Shebrought warmth to everyconversation, steadiness to every challenge and joy to every success.”
Earlierthis month, Perez received the Dan Seymour Award, the highest honor from the Louisiana Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators in recognition of her lifetime of student advocacy.She was also a past recipient of the University of Louisiana System Outstanding Staff Award for exceptionalachievement and service.
LSU edgerusher PatrickPayton,left,and linebacker Harold Perkins pressure Florida quarterback DJ Lagway in thesecond
the Tigers’20-10 win over the GatorsonSept.13atTiger Stadium
SHINESPOTLIGHT
TheseLSU Tigers must step up to spring upsetonA&M
Canthe LSU Tigers spring what Las Vegas considers amild upsetonNo. 3
Texas A&M (the Aggies are favored by 21/2 points) on Saturday in Tiger Stadium?
Absolutely they can.LSU haslost two of its past three games, but they were on the road against rankedteams— as distasteful and unacceptable aslossesto Ole Miss and Vanderbilt may be around here.
To get the job done, LSU is going to have to get big-timeperformances out of these six playersand oneassistant coach:
GarrettNussmeier
Youcan’tdomuch to pinthe Tigers’
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
With a1-6 record, New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has been an executive long enough to know that “everyone presumes”his team will be aseller ahead of the league’s Nov.4trade deadline.
“Obviously,wehave been the subject of alot of rumors,” Loo-
31-24 loss at Vandy on the LSU quarterback. He was 19-of-28 passing for 225 yards,two touchdownsand no interceptions, earning an excellent quarterback rating of 158.9. The problem was he was running for his life behind his porous offensiveline. Even the touchdown passes he threw to Trey’Dez Green and Zavion Thomas were under aheavy rush. Nuss-
ä Buccaneers at Saints 3:05P.M. SUNDAy,FOX
mis said in arecent radio interview withWWL.“Andwehave gotten afew calls about differentguys.”
But Loomis made no declarationsabout howthe Saintswill approach the deadline,other than to say they’d evaluateeach
meier needs to do what he can to stay upright and stay away from turnovers. Helping LSUscore touchdowns from the1-yard line also would help.
Harlem Berry
The freshman is starting to live up to his billing as the nation’stop prep running back prospect.Yes, Caden Durham had moreyards rushing at Vandy than Berry —seven carries for 59 yards compared to 11 carries for 55 —but 51 of Durham’syards cameonone burst. Berry was better down after down. Considering that Durham still seems hobbled by his ankle, it will be up to
trade discussiononacase-bycase basis.
“I don’tthink we’re in thebusiness of trading away good players unless the deals are just too good to refuse,”hesaid.
If theSaints are open for business, they’ll seemingly have no shortage of suitors for key pieces on the roster Let’stake alook at the Saints’ best trade assets —players who
might receive offers too tempting for Loomis to refuse. We’ll also trytofind acomparable past deal to see whatNew Orleansmight receive if it wanted to moveon.
DE CamJordan
Moving on fromJordan seems highly unlikely given what he
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The injury news along the UL offensive line seems like it gets worse by the day
True freshman Jakoby Isom, who started at left guard last week, suffered aturf-toe injury and is out forthe rest of the season.
Left tackle Bryant Williamsleftlast week’sgame witha knee injuryand wasn’tlisted on Wednesday’sdepth chart. Redshirt senior Mackey Maillho is listed as the starter at left tackle, while Kaden Moreau is expected to return at left guard.
“I think (center) Cooper (Fordham) and Kaden will be good to go,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said. If there areany more injuries on theoffensive line, almost every backup listed on the depth chart hasn’tseen the field this season.Thatgroup includestrue freshman Baylynn Williams, redshirt senior Ryan Ebrahim,redshirt sophomore walk-onAndrew Martinez, redshirt freshman Jackson Hammond and redshirt freshman Ryder Bentley “He’sa second-year walk on from John Curtis,” Desormeauxsaid of Martinez. “I think he’sagood, young player Physically,he’sstill got some developing to do, but he does agood job. It’salittle ahead of his timethanwhat we anticipated, but he’sdone agood job for us.”
Despite allofthe issues on the offensive line, UL is still running the ball at a good clip —189.6 yards pergame —and rushed for217 yards againstSouthern Miss last week.
“We’ve got three or four older guys that have been here for awhile …sothe higher-up leadership shows in the ups and downs, the mountains and valleys,” Maillho said. “The O-line motto is five equalsone, so if you’re outinthat field, you got to be ready to go and play alongside the left and right of your brothers.
“They’vegot to know that,too.That gives us the positive psychological mindset. Iguess you could say that everything’sgoing to be OK,everything’s going to work out.”
Robertsonresponds SheltonSampson is expected to return to the field after missing the last three games. Whilehewas out, redshirtjunior Charles Robertson took full advantage of the opportunity to impress. It was Robertson whocaught twoof the biggest passes from Lunch Winfield in the double-overtime win over Marshall, and he has proven to be dependable in each game.
“It’sbeen pretty good,” said Robertson, who didn’tplay last season because of an NCAAsuspension. “I’ve been ready to get back at it. Itook awhile off just working on myself to be able to go out there and help the team.
“Itjust felt good to be able to go out there and help my team.”
Robertson hassix catches for 108 yards and atouchdownthis season.
BY PATRICK MAGEE Staff writer
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested Thursday along with Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups as part of an investigation into multiple illegal betting schemes thatbrought in millionsofdollarsfor sportsbettors and members of organized crime, authorities said. Rozier,who previously had been cleared by the NBA on similar allegations after an investigation by the league, andBillups have been placed on leave from their teams, the NBA announced Thursday
While Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones are charged with scheming with Mafia members to scam participantsincard games, Rozier is alleged to have shared insider NBA information in
asportsbettingploy that included irregularities during a2023 game against theNew Orleans Pelicans.
TheDepartment of Justice shared details Thursday of allegations involving sevenNBA games thattook place over the course of ayear starting in March 23, 2023.
Atotal of six men areaccusedof involvement in thesportsbetting case. Outside of Rozier and Jones, bettors Eric Earnest,Shane Hennen Marves Fairley andDeniro Laster have beennamed as defendantsin thealleged sports betting scheme.
Prior to aMarch 23, 2023, game between theCharlotte Hornetsand Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Rozier —who then played for the Hornets —is accused of telling Laster that he planned to claim he was injured and remove himself from the
game in thefirst quarter, according to the indictment.
The indictment states Laster, who is described by authorities as alongtime friend of Rozier’s, joined Fairley and Hennen in placing $200,000 in wagers on the under on Rozier,meaning they expected the guard to underperform thebetting line on his statistics.
Federalauthorities saythe bets delivered tensofthousands of dollars in profits for the bettors. “Laster collected thecash and drove that night to Rozier’s house, where theycounted the profits together,” according to arelease from theDepartment of Justice.
ThePelicansdominated that night,earning a115-96 victory withRozier putting up five points and four rebounds in 10 minutesof
HILARy SCHEINUK
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Rookie pitchers clickatright time
BY MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP baseball writer
NEW YORK Trey Yesavage and Roki Sasaki are barely babes in the woods when it comes to Major League Baseball experience.
That makes their postseason successeven more impressive.
Bothinthe minors last month, Yesavage and Sasaki aresuddenly two of the most important pitchers in the World Series asthe Toronto Blue Jays take on the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Friday night. Neither one has turned 24 yet or appeared in morethan 17 bigleague games.
“It’sremarkable, really.You’re talking about abig stage,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said during the playoffs when asked about several rookies excelling this October.“Ithink players have kind of been developed alittle bit differently over the past handful of years, and I think that they probably exude alittle bit more confidence at a youngage.”
The 22-year-old Yesavage, a first-rounddraftpickbyToronto in July 2024 from East Carolina, rocketed through four minorleague levels this season. He struck out 160battersin98innings combined at Dunedin, Vancouver, New Hampshire and Buffalo before making his major-leaguedebut Sept. 15 with the Blue Jays in aheated pennant race.
“Every stop of the way,I learnedsomething new,” Yesavagesaid.
The right-hander from Pennsylvania went 1-0 witha3.21 ERA in three outings totaling 14 innings, then found himself on the mound againstAaron Judge and the New York Yankees as the No. 2starter in the Toronto playoff rotation.
“You have to kind of look at what the stuff is doing in real time,”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki reactsafter theDodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1ofthe National League Division Series on Oct. 4inPhiladelphia.
ä Dodgers at Blue Jays. 7P.M. FRIDAy,FOX
Schneider said. “Will this work?
Andifitworks, you go for it.”
How didYesavagehandle such pressure?Featuring adominant splitterfrom his unusually high release point, he set afranchise postseason recordbystriking out 11 in 51/3 hitless inningstoearn a AL Division Series win.
“You’ve got to treat it like you’re in control andyou’re confident in your own stuff,”Yesavagesaid.
“If you’re up there worried about thehitterand his talent,you’renot going to execute how you want to.”
Twoweekslater,apoised Yesavage escaped bases-loaded jams in consecutive innings by inducing double-playgrounders against Seattle in Game 6ofthe American League Championship Series. He took ashutout into the sixth inning of a6-2 win that extended Toronto’sseason.
Yesavage’s three career regular-season appearances werethe
fewest in postseason history for astarting pitcher facing elimination.His two playoffwins eclipse his total at Double-A and Triple-A combined.
Next,he’ll start Game 1ofthe World Series against the powerhouse Dodgers.
Back in spring training, hardly anyone anticipated Yesavage reaching themajorsthisseason, but much was expected of the 23-year-old Sasaki after his ballyhooed arrival from Japan.
Atantalizing starter in his home country,hebegan the season in Los Angeles’ rotation but struggled to adjust and throw strikes. Sasaki looked sadand teary-eyed in the dugoutafter arough Dodger Stadium debut, and he went 1-1 with a4.72 ERA in eight starts before landing on theinjured list in May witha right shoulder impingement Afterall that hype, Sasaki almost became an afterthought. Five rehab starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City yielded unimpressive results —but then he came out of the bullpen twice in the minors and something clicked.
The right-hander finally rejoined the Dodgers on Sept. 24, made twoterrific relief appearances and quickly found himself closing playoff games, stabilizingasuspect LosAngelesbullpen with his 100 mph fastball.
“As astarter,I understand that there’salways ups and downs. So, Ikind of take that sameapproach with pitching as areliever,”Sasaki said through atranslator after saving Game 3ofthe NLCS against Milwaukee.
Sasaki has a1.13 ERA in seven Octoberoutings covering eight innings. He is thefirst pitcher to earn each of his first threecareer saves in the postseason sincesaves became an official statisticin1969.
“His growth has been certainly notlinear,”Dodgersmanager Dave Roberts said. “For himto kind of self-reflect,get healthy and put himself back on the radar for our2025 ball club speaks to his fight.”
LSU LB Weeksdoubtful to play againstAggies
LSU junior linebacker WhitWeeks has not been able to practice this week and is doubtful for Saturday’s matchup against TexasA&M, LSU coach Brian Kelly said Thursday The star linebacker has been dealing with abone bruise on his ankle sincethe Tigers’ loss to Ole Miss in Week 5. Besides Weeks, Kelly confirmed defensive tackle Bernard Gooden and edge rusher Jimari Butler are probable on Saturday Gooden missed last week’s game against Vanderbilt witha bruised collarbone. Butler also sat out last Saturday’strip to Nashville due to an ankle injury Edge rusherGabrielReliford (rotator cuff) and offensive linemanTyreeAdams (ankle)are out forthe game.
Ex-LSU gymnastFinnegan in world championships
JAKARTA, Indonesia Former LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan competed this week in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. Finnegan, 22, who completed her senior year at LSU in April, represented the Philippines as she did in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Finnegan competed Tuesday in Subdivision 7ofthe women’s qualification round. She finished second on uneven bars and third on balance beam, floor andvault, but did not advance to Thursday’sall-around final or any of the individual apparatus finals.
The 2024 NCAA floor champion, Finnegan won43career individual events at LSU. Hereight perfect 10 scores is tied for fourth in program history
Report: USF women’s coachleaving for WNBA
TAMPA, Fla. SouthFlorida women’sbasketball coach Jose Fernandez, who ledthe Bulls to unprecedented successduring his quarter-century tenure, is leaving fora WNBA head coaching opportunity, reportedly with the Dallas Wings. Various media outlets were reporting Thursday that Fernandez, 53, was closing in on adeal to coach the struggling franchise, which fired first-year coach Chris Koclanes after a10-34 season. In astatement releasedbythe university,USF athletic director Rob Higgins called the news “a bittersweet moment forour program.” Michele Woods-Baxter,Fernandez’s assistant thelast17seasons,will serve as interim coach thisseason.
WRs McLaurin, Samuel practice for Commanders
ASHBURN,Va. Wide receivers Terry McLaurinand DeeboSamuel returned to practice forthe Washington Commanders on Thursday, but coach Dan Quinn confirmed that quarterback JaydenDaniels will miss theteam’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
BY BETH HARRIS AP sportswriter
Freddie Freeman is returning to his family roots whenthe Los Angeles Dodgers open defense of their World Series championship against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Friday
The All-Star first baseman’s parents are from the province of Ontario; father Fred is from Windsor and late mother Rosemary was from Peterborough, about 85 miles northeast of Toronto.
“Every time Igoback there,” Freemansaid,“Ifeela little bit closer to my mom.”
Freeman was born in the Orange County city of Fountain Valleyafter hisfamily relocatedto California because of his father’s work. He was 10 whenhis 47-yearold mother died of melanoma —the most dangerous type of skin cancerbecause of its ability to spreadtoorgans— in 2000. Freeman wears long sleeves under hisjerseyduring games as asilent tribute to her as well as to protect himself from the cancer that runs in the family
“I’d rather be hot for afew hours than go through chemotherapy,” he told ESPN in 2023. Freeman holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship,and he choseto play for his mother’shomecountry in the World Baseball Classic in 2023 and 2017.
“I was 8years old and we were
at an Angels game,” Freeman told ESPN. “I was eatingpopcorn and the Canadian national anthem is playing and I’m sitting. (Then)it felt like someone just ripped me up. It felt likeIwas just hanging anditwas my mom(whopulled me out of my seat).It’sthose little things that Iremember.”
There’susually an envelope waiting in Freeman’s locker in Toronto, too.
“It’s always like athird cousin has found photos in their garage and they bring themtome,” he said.
Freeman’sfather will be on hand at Rogers Centre for Game 1, just as hewas last year at Dodger Stadium.That’swhenthe younger Freemangavehis dadand Dodger fans alifelongmemory, belting a walk-off grand slam in the Series opener
Ajubilant Freeman ran over to find his dad in the front row and they touchedthroughthe protective netting. He wasnamed Series MVP after the Dodgers defeated the NewYorkYankees for their eighth world title. Freemancarriedthe Dodgers last fall, especially against the Yankees. His struggles in these playoffs have been offset by outstanding startingpitching. He is batting .231 with one homerun and five RBIsinnine postseason games. His 11 strikeouts in 39 atbatsare higher thanhis playoff career average.
“He’scertainlyseeing some really good pitching,” manager
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS Los Angeles Dodgers first basemanFreddie Freeman walks on the field withhis father,Fred Freeman, before agameagainst the San Francisco Giants on June 18, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Dave Roberts said. “He’scertainly not pleased withperformance up to this point, but everytime he gets in thebox,I feelgood.I expect him to really have anice Series.”
The Dodgers are back in the WorldSeries for the fifth time in nine years.The Blue Jaysare appearing forthe first time since winningback-to-back titles in 1992 and ‘93. “When youhaveawhole coun-
try that’sbehind oneteam, that’spretty amazing,” Freeman said.“To just seethe city come together and get to experience so much jubilation, it’sanexcitingtime.” Freeman was afavorite amongCanadian fans during his World BaseballClassic appearances. “I’m notsosurethe Blue Jays fans will be cheering formethis time around,” he said.
McLaurin sat outthe past four games after injuring his quadriceps muscle on acatch in Week 3, while Samuel missed Sunday’s4422 loss to the Dallas Cowboys with aheel problem that had bothered him for awhile but hadn’tprevented him from playing until now Afterpractice,Samuelsaidthe heel was “kind of nagging alittle bit last week”but was “not an issue” on Thursday Untilthisprolonged absence, McLaurin had appeared in 72 consecutive regular-season games for the Commanders; he hadn’tmissed one since late in the 2020 season.
Hardaway adds longtime NBA assistant to staff
MEMPHIS,Tenn.— Memphis coach Penny Hardaway added longtimeNBA assistant Roy Rogersasanassistant to fill out his staff forthis season. Hardaway also brought in Josh Townsend as the Tigers’ new directorofscouting in additions announced Thursday Rogers was afirst-round NBAdraft pick in 1996 by thethen-Vancouver Grizzlies out of Alabama. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach for the PortlandTrailBlazers. He also hasbeenanassistant with the Clippers, Chicago, Houston, Washington,Brooklyn, Detroitand Boston. This willbeRogers’ first time coaching in the college ranks. He joinsa staff that includes Mike Davis andJermaine Johnson. Hardaway also added Darrell Brown Jr.asdirector of player development and KristanKelly as director of basketball operationsthissummer
ROURKE
Yesavage
means to the franchise, as well as cap complications that would come from moving his deal. Therewas apointlastseasonwhenthe pass rusheradmitted to Sports Illustrated he had wanted atrade, but he and the franchisehave patched things up. Still, CBSSportsinsider Jonathan Jones mentioned Jordanasapossibletrade candidate, which is why he’sonthis list
What the Saints could get:There’s no great precedent for trading 35-year-old pass rushers, but 32-year-old Za’DariusSmith and a2026 seventh-round pick fetched a2025 fifth-round pick and a2026 sixth-round pick in last year’s Browns-Lions trade. The Saints love their seventh-for-a-sixth swaps, so maybe that’sthe range But then why evendoit?
WR BrandinCooks
Cooks knows athing or two about trades, as he’sbeen dealt four times in his eight-year career With only 127 yardson14catches, the wide receiver may not be an obviouscandidate to be dealt, but the NFL Network reported he is among the list ofSaints “expected to be or have been the subject of trade calls.” Dealing Cooks would free up playing time for Devaughn Vele, who has somehow played only 103 snaps since the Saints acquired him in August fora fourth- andseventhround pick.
What the Saints could get:Cooks isn’tlikely to fetch the same level of compensation he did when he was last traded in 2023,with the Cowboys sending afifth- and sixth-round pick to the Texans. But the last few deadlines have featured several teams giving up alate-round pick to take aflyer on areceiver,such as the Detroit Lions sending asixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in 2023 for Donovan Peoples-Jones.
GDillon Radunz Teams arealways lookingfor interior line depth, which explains whyRadunz wasnamed by the NFLNetworkassomeone to watch for the Saints. Signed to aone-year deal this offseason, the27-year-old startedthe first twogames at left guardbefore Trevor Penning returned to the lineup. Even if Radunzdraws interest, the Saintsmight not be able to part with offensiveline depthafter Erik McCoy’sseasonending injury What the Saints could get: NewOrleans’ deal for tackle Asim Richards serves as atemplate.The Cowboys included Richards anda 2028 seventh-round pick fora2028 sixth-round pick.
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Berry to give the struggling running game achance to break out against the Aggies.
DJ Chester
It will help Berry and Nussmeier’scause if Chester can actuallyblocksome people, giving time for Nuss to throw andfor the running backs to find some holes. Chester has become the poster child for all that ails the LSU offensive line, and that is to asizable degree unfair.All the junior from Conyers, Georgia, has done is whatever the LSU coaches have askedhim to do. That includes giving up his starting center position to Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore. Instead he has started at guard, spelled Moore when he was injured and now is filling in for an injured Tyree Adams at left tackle. Maybe it’sa mistake for LSU to put him there, though the coaches are banking on his experience. Chester may be miscast in this role, but you can’t sayhe isn’tgiving it his all.
Harold Perkins
The fourth-year linebacker had one of the worstgames of his career at Vandy.Perkins recorded four tackles, buthe repeatedly took bad angles at mobile Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia, allowing him to break containment timeand again. With fellow linebacker Whit Weeks likely sidelined again withanankle injury, Perkins’ role in trying to corral another shifty quarterback, MarcelReed, will be critical to the Tigers’ hopes of victory AaronAnderson Tight end Trey’Dez Green (five catchesfor agame-high 74 yards at Vandy) likely will be atop target for Nussmeier Same for Barion Brown (five catches for 40 yards). ButAn-
LB Pete Werner
Arethe Saints already preparing for lifewithoutWerner? Overthe last twoweeks, the Saints have taken the linebacker off the field so that rookie Danny Stutsman could play afew series. TradingWerner would be the logical next step —ifthe Saintscan get somethingfor him. Theysigned him to athree-year,$22.5 million extension last season, so trading himwould result in $1.7millionin dead money this season and then leave almost$5.8 million on the books next season because of his signing bonusand recent restructures.
The fifth-year linebacker hasn’t had along history of production: His two sacks thisyear are acareer-high.
What the Saints could get: Last year, theSeattle Seahawks tradedlinebackerJerome Baker anda 2025 fourth-round pick and acquired linebackerErnest Jones from the Tennessee Titans. The Saints unlikely would want aplayer at the same position, but the draft capital could set anice precedent.
LB Demario Davis
Such amove would make sense only if theSaints want to help Davis chase aring. At 36, Davis is still playing arelatively high level of football, and the San Francisco 49ers haveamassive need at linebacker withAll-ProFred Warner (ankle) done for the season. Areunion with former coach Sean Payton in Denver also could
derson needs to round back into form after an injury-hampered stretch. Anderson is still LSU’s leading receiver in yards with 323 on 24 catches, but he made only onegrab for 18 yards at Vandy and has yet to score a touchdown. Both of those numbers need to go upagainst the Aggies.
PJ Woodland
TexasA&M has astellar pair of receivers in Mario Craver and KC Concepcion whohave piled up nearly1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. That said, they’re still unlikely to test LSU’sstellar cornerback Mansoor Delane very much. That means more pressure and targetsonthe other sidefor Woodlandand freshmanbackup DJ Pickett. The departureoflittle-used corner Ashton Stamps, aformer starter, to the transfer portal makes Woodland’s play more pivotal.
BlakeBaker
Yes, offensivecoordinator Joe Sloan needs to sharpen his play calling (did wesay theTigers need to cash in for atouchdown whenthey get to the 1?). But there is going to be just as much or more on Baker’s defense. The Aggies have been prolific on offensethis season, scoring 31 or more points in every game except a16-10 win against Auburn. No one reasonably expects the LSU offenseto go madfor 38-40 points;20-25 points wouldbe more the Tigers’ style. That means it’svitally important for the defense to hold the Aggies in the 20s for LSU to even have achance. With or without Weeks (likely without), Baker’sunit must cut down on the bad angles, leaving the middle of the field open for Reedtorun and cover ateamthatcertainly will test the Tigers more downfield than Vandy did.
For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
be agood fit. But unless Davis wantsout,orsome team offers a king’sransom,the two-timePro Bowler likely will stay put.
What theSaintscouldget: Like with Jordan, there aren’talot of trades for 36-year-old linebackers. But let’slook at thelast trade between the49ersand theSaints.In2021, the Saints sent Kiko Alonso to the 49ers in exchange for Kwon Alexander and aconditional fifth-round pick. Would aconditional fourthbe enough?
CB AlontaeTaylor
Taylor’sname popped up in a recent ESPN articlewiththe Buffalo Bills, SeattleSeahawks and Dallas Cowboys listed as potential fits. The 26-year-old is in acontract year, so if theSaints can’tfinalize an extension, it would make sense to gauge the market and geta return beforehedeparts. Jeremy Fowler of ESPNwrote the Saints would consider moving on if they received astrong offer.Trading Taylor would hurt the secondary this season.
What the Saints couldget:The generous haul that New Orleans received for Marshon Lattimore last year is probably unrealistic. ButTaylor likely would qualify as acompensatory free agent, which would still put his cost somewhere between athird- or fourth-round pick. TheChiefs received athird-round pick and swapped seventh-rounders when they traded L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. The Saintsalso traded Bradley Roby for athird
UL
Continuedfrom page1C
“My routes have gotten better, more crisp,” he saidofhis improvement. “I’m comingout of transition faster than the DB. Ifeel like that’s abig part that I’veworkedon. And on deep routes, keeping your head down andrun 10 extra yards so that youget open for real.”
Monitoring Chaney
One of thetricky parts of coaching is howtohandleredshirt situations, especially for true freshmen.
Take wide receiverTrenton Chaney from Lutcher as an example
The passing game has struggled thisseason andthere’s been some injured wide receivers, so Chaney has played in two games with one catch.
“He’spracticing really well,” Desormeaux said. “He’s dynamic. He does somereally good things.”
That’snot alot of traffic, so howmanymore gameswill Chaney play this season, considering he can only play in four and maintain his redshirt status?
“He needs to play more or we need to play him in four,” Desormeaux said.
The staff will monitor how much he’s needed in thenext two games as the Cajunstry to resurrect adisappointing season.
“If we get through these next two games and it’s still just four or fivesnaps, I’m not going to do that and burn his redshirt,” Desormeaux said. “I
ROZIER
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action. Brandon Ingram delivered atriple-double of 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the way for the home team.
What the Saints could get: The Saints’ package for Vele —afourth and aseventh —seems like areasonable comp forShaheed. But the fan base might erupt if the Saints couldn’tget more thanthat, given they’re already frustrated with howlittleVelehas played.Philadelphia’sdeal for Jahan Dotson might be abetter deal: The Commanders sent the wide receiver and a2025 fifth to Philadelphia in exchange fora 2025fifthand two seventh-rounders.
RB AlvinKamara
Kamarahas madeitclear he doesn’twanttobetraded, threatening to retire if he is dealt. And Loomis is likely to respect that wish, given the running back’simpact on the franchise. But if things weretosomehow change, or the Saints decided to be ruthless and deal Kamaraanyway, it’s easy to see the running back having several suitors.
and asixth in 2022.
DE Carl Granderson
Anonymous leagueexecutives told The Washington Post that this year’s deadline willcenter on pass rushers.Ifthat’sthe case, will teams come calling on Granderson?His 41/2 sacksrank15th in theNFL,though he’s cooled offin recent weeks and has aquarterback pressure rate of only 10.7%.
Granderson’splaying time has dippedsince Chase Young’sreturn.Also working in his favor, Granderson is durable. He hasn’t missed agame since 2022. What theSaints could get: The price tag for pass rushers varies greatly Young was dealt fromthe WashingtonCommanders to the 49ers in 2023 for aconditional third-round pick. Washington also received a second-round pick from the Bears for Montez Sweat.But Granderson doesn’thave theirathleticism,perhaps putting his range somewhere between the Young deal and last year’s deal for Za’Darius Smith (a 2025 fifth and a2026 sixth).
WR Rashid Shaheed
Like Taylor,Shaheed is in a contract year.Anexcellent deep threat, Shaheed’sspeed should attract many teams. Hisstats per gameare alittle downthis season, though he still has shown explosiveness. Shaheed would make sense for clubs such as the Seattle Seahawks(withformer Saintscoordinator Klint Kubiak),Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kamara is averaging only 3.6 yards per carry and isn’tnearly involved in the passing gameashe once was, but he’d be astrong fit forany of thethree contenders in the AFC West. What the Saints could get: ApostcardfromHawaii? Kamara said that he’d drink piña coladas from abeachsomewhereifhewere traded. That probably doesn’thelp his trade value. The league perceptiononrunning backsisalsohard to factor,but the Eagles sent a fourth and aseventh to the Detroit Lions two yearsago forrunning back D’Andre Swift and aseventhround pick.
WR ChrisOlave
Extendhim or tradehim? The Saints face afascinating crossroads with Olave. While he has another year on his contract, Olave confirmed there have been conversations about anew deal. Buthe also said the Saints have kept him informed about apossible trade. Olave looks like he’srounding into form, and he’slikely the Saints’ mostvaluable asset.
Trading Olave would hurt in the short term, particularly as the Saints evaluate their quarterback situation. But plenty of teams could use areceiver,and Olave might be the best oneonthe market.
Whatthe Saints couldget: The Lattimorehaul —athird, afourth and asixthfor Lattimore anda fifth —iscertainly onetowatch.But the ChicagoBearsalso gave up a second-round pick afew years ago forChase Claypool.Thattrade was ahuge bust forthe Bears, but New Orleanswouldn’tbeblamedfor seeking something similar, even with Olave’slengthy injury history
Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com
UL receiver CharlesRobertson runs with the ballduring the Cajuns’ 22-10 loss to SouthernMissonSaturday.
“Myroutes have gotten better, more crisp.I’m coming outof transition faster than theDB. Ifeel like that’s abig partthat I’ve worked on.And on deep routes, keeping your head down and run 10 extrayards so that youget open for real.”
CHARLESROBERTSON, UL redshirtjunior wide receiver
don’tbelieve in that. Youcan say whatever you want about the way footballworks today,I don’t care about any of that. Ijust don’t
The Associated Press reports that posts stillavailable online from the day of the game show that some bettors expressed anger with sportsbooks when it became clearthatRozierwas not going to return to the game. Many of those posts said it appeared something “shady” had taken place related to
think that’sright to do.”
EmailKevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
prop bets on his stats in the Pelicans game. The NBA said it is cooperating with the investigation.
“Wetakethese allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our gameremains our toppriority,” the NBAsaidina statement.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave,right, celebrates his 13-yard TD catch withRashid Shaheed against the PhiladelphiaEaglesatthe Caesars Superdome on Sept.22, 2024.
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
BLACKBERRYSMOKE
8p.m.Thursday, Oct. 30 l Raising Cane’sRiver Center Theatre for Performing Arts, 240 St. Louis St , BatonRouge l $46.10-$110.40 l theatre.raisingcanesrivercenter com andblackberrysmoke.com
‘It’snot perfect,’ but‘it’s special’
Theswaggering, inexactnatureof Blackberry Smoke
BY JOHN WIRT
Contributing writer
Blackberry Smoke, that swaggering rock band from Atlanta, willcelebrate its 25th anniversary next year
“It’ssurreal to stand back and see it as 25 years,” said singer, guitarist and principal songwriterCharlie Starr. “It doesn’t feel that long. Time slips away from you.” Aquarter century into Blackberry Smoke history,Starr believes the band has another 25 yearsinit.
“When we get on stage and hit aG chordtogether, we allgrin, he said. “Like, ‘OK. This is what keepsuscomingback.’ It’sthe thrill of this ridiculous music that we play.” In the Southern rock line of succession of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Black Crowes and Georgia Satellites, Blackberry Smoke comes to the Raising Cane’s River Center Theatre for Performing Arts in Baton Rouge on Thursday,Oct. 30. The band’s fall tour overlaps the Nov.14 release of its 22-song compilation album “Rattle, Ramble& Roll: The Best of BlackberrySmoke, Volume One.”
Hear the stories
Join explorer,author and Emmy-nominated hostJoshGates (“Expedition Unknown,”“Destination Tr uth”) for “AnEvening of Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure!” at 7:30 p.m.Saturdayatthe Raising Cane’sRiver Center Theatrefor Perfor ming Ar ts. $54-$107. ticketmaster.com.
LIVING
BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer
Watch aglassblower create somethingbeautiful.
Pet friendly farm animals
Take awhirl in ahelicopter
Those attractions and awhole lot more are in storefor visitorstothe GreaterBaton Rouge StateFair,which opened Thursday and runs through Sunday, Nov.2
Hot Glass Academy from Americus, Georgia, is afirsttimer at the fair
GREATER BATON ROUGE STATEFAIR
Now-Sunday, Nov. 2 l 5p.m.10 p.m. Monday-Friday; noon10 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday l Airline HighwayPark/Fairgrounds, 16072 Airline Highway l Children under48inchesenterfree every day l gbrsf.com
FRIDAY-SUNDAY: $15 admission, $35 ride wristbands
Building on its “best of” release, the band has plans for its 25th anniversary in 2026.
“I can’tdivulge it yet, but it’ll be something special,” Starr said. Formed in Atlanta in 2001, Blackberry Smoke built its audience throughprolifictouring and performances and recordings that don’tcrave perfection Starr calls the latter imperfect quality “that wobble.”
“I’ve played with people in other situations who were stiff,” he said. “They didn’thavethe swagger.Once you findpeople who have the swagger,you stick with them. That’swhat keeps our band together.It’snot perfect, but in our kind of music, you don’tlook for perfection.A little wiggle happens. It’sspecial.”
ä See SMOKE, page 6C
“Every day of thefair, they’ll be doing glass blowing demonstrations and talking about glass blowing and actually producing items while they talk,” said fair president andCEO CliffBarton “Something we’ve never had before. And it’s kind of aneat thingtowatch.”
Cheramie Farms in Cut Off will be hauling in amini horse, minicow,mini donkey,sheep, goats, apig, ducks, geese, atortoise and akangaroo for the pettingzoo.
Chubby Carrier will bring on the zydeco/Cajunsounds from 6:30 p.m. to 8p.m.Sunday.
“It’sthe first time for them, too, andwe’rekind of excited about that,” said Barton. “Our other big new thingiswehave a company that’sgoing to be selling helicopter rides.”
Fly Bama will be offering 3-to-5-minuterides, affording passengers aview of all the
MONDAY,WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY: $10 admission, $15 wristbands, $5 admission with The Advocate coupon
$2 TUESDAY: $2 admission, $2 per ride,some$2food specials, $25 wristbands
fun from above. This is one of the few events not included with regularadmission, Barton pointed out.
ä See FAIR, page 6C
SLUdedicates
BYJUDYBERGERON
The midway, afair mainstay, will be operated by MitchellBrothers Amusements.
FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.
JEFF DUGAN: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.
AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
THE LAST MANGOS: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-nDuson, Duson, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6 p.m.
KIP SONNIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
DAMON TROY: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m.
LAYLA LAVERGNE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.
TEN TINY DANCES: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
WAYNE SINGLETON & SAME OL’ 2-STEP: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
SIBLINGS DUELING
PIANOS: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
DUSTIN DALE GASPARD: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.
MATT GARY TRIO: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.
KADE DOMEC: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m.
SHADOW ROAD WITH KYLE DUGAS: Pat’s
PROVIDED PHOTO FROM NBC
Louisiana Cajun swamp pop singer Dustin Dale Gaspard, as seen on NBC’s ‘The Voice,’ will perform at 6 p.m Saturday on the patio at Prejean’s in Broussard.
Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 7 p.m.
TEN TINY DANCES: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
CHUNQ (EARLY SHOW): Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m. NIGHTMARE AT THE RUINS: The Ruins Lounge, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
PHANTUM SUN + GOODBYE ACADEMY + KISMET + DOUBLE
KNOCKOUT: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
ONE TRICK PONY: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 8 p.m.
SWAMP POP LEGEND JOHNNIE ALLAN WITH TRAVIS MATTE: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m.
BEAUSOLEIL AVEC
MICHAEL DOUCET: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
JESSE LEGE DANCE: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
MONDAY
PATRICIO LATINO
SOLO: Café Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.
AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley G’s Seafood
TODAY IN HISTORY
By The Associated Press
Today is Friday, Oct. 24, the 297th day of 2025. There are 68 days left in the year Today in history:
On Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations formally came into existence as the Charter of the United Nations, ratified by 51 nations, took effect. The date is now observed as United Nations Day
Also on this date:
In 1537, Jane Seymour, the third wife of England’s King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI. In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent by Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California from San Francisco to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. In 1929, a massive sell-off at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange led to chaos as stockbrokers couldn’t keep up with trade requests. Though the market recovered some losses by the end of the day “Black Thursday” marked the beginning of the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
In 1931, the George Washington Bridge, connecting New York City with New Jersey, was dedicated. It was the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time
In 1952, Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower vowed to go to Korea as he promised to end the ongoing conflict there. (Eisenhower would indeed visit Korea in December, after winning the elec-
Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
BLUEGRASS JAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.
TUESDAY
DAVE TRAINER: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
PAUL TASSIN: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center Opelousas, 10 a.m.
ANDREW WAIN JAZZ: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
WESTERN SWING TRIO: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
SEAN TRCALEK: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.
CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY
DUSTIN DALE GASPARD: The Ruins Lounge, Lafayette, 2 p.m. PAUL TAUSSIN: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
ANDREW WAIN JAZZ: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
RORY SUIRE: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
HORACE TRAHAN: Rock’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
DOUBLE KNOCKOUT + THE SCHISMS + ELLE H AND UNTITLED: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper
tion but before his inauguration.)
In 2002, authorities arrested John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo near Myersville, Maryland, in the Washington-area sniper attacks that killed 10 people and wounded three that month (Malvo was later sentenced to life in prison. Muhammad was sentenced to death and executed in 2009.)
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy roared across Jamaica and headed toward Cuba on its way to the eastern United States; what became known as Superstorm Sandy was a combination of the hurricane and other storms that struck New York and surrounding areas, killing 147 people, 72 in the eastern U.S.
In 2024, the owner and manager of the cargo ship Dali agreed to pay more than $102 million in cleanup costs to settle a federal government lawsuit stemming from the 2023 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Dali had crashed into a supporting column, destroying the 1.6mile span and killing six members of a roadwork crew
Today’s birthdays: Rock musician Bill Wyman is 89. Actor F. Murray Abraham is 86. Actor Kevin Kline is 78. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., is 71. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., is 69. Actor B.D. Wong is 65 English soccer manager and former star midfielder Wayne Rooney is 40. Singer Monica Arnold is 45. Fashion designer Zac Posen is 45. Singer-rapper Drake is 39. Actor Ashton Sanders is 30. NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown is 29. Actor Hudson Yang is 22.
FRIDAY
($15 admission/$35 ride wristbands)
n 6 p.m., Mutton Bustin’ and Stick Horse Rodeo
n 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Kings of Neon (glow party/dance music)
SATURDAY
($15 admission/$35 ride wristbands)
n 9:30 a.m., “Dress Your Goat” contest
n 10 a.m., Junior Dairy Goat Show
n Noon, Junior Poultry Show
n Noon, Junior Rabbit Show
n 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Children’s Pumpkin Decorating Contest
FAIR
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
n 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Lee Serio Band (classic rock, blues/soul)
n 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., I-10 Bound Band (swamp pop/country)
SUNDAY
($15 admission/$35 ride wristbands)
n Noon, Junior Beef Show
n 1 p.m., High School Volunteer Award Winners Ceremony
n 3 p.m., Lego Extravaganza
n 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Script Flipper Pres (Christian/ gospel), n 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Chubby Carrier (zydeco/Cajun)
Continued from page 5C
The helicopter liftoff area will be located on what was the old stage area, down the hill behind the food court. It will be roped off and set up to ensure safety, which will also include constant monitoring, Barton said.
On the subject of security, the fair maintains a clear-bag policy making an exception for diaper bags. Security will be screening fairgoers at the gate for weapons.
“Sheriff’s deputies will provide security every minute that we’re open, and then even after we close in the evening, they’re there until the crowd is dispersed,” Barton explained. “And we also have first responders on staff all of the working hours of the fair. We try to pride ourselves as being a safe family environment.”
Even though the fair endured two days of rain during last year’s run, it still attracted between 40,000 and 45,000 people. A volunteer pool of 75-100 people work the festival over its 11 days, Barton, who’s marking his 53rd year as a volunteer said. A separate entity, the GBRSF Foundation, disperses fair profits back into the commu-
SMOKE
Continued from page 5C
Starr cited examples of classic rock bands that wobble their rock ’n’ roll.
“To me, the Rolling Stones are the definition of that,” he said. “They can be awful, but it’s still great. The Grateful Dead, same thing.” No-nonsense songwriting is another Blackberry Smoke attribute. Starr’s early years in Atlanta inspired his realistic lyrics.
“I’ve never been good at abstract lyrics,” he said. “I could never be Bob Dylan. I was fascinated with the songwriting of a few guys I played with before we formed Blackberry Smoke Tommy Rivers and Chris Edmonds. I saw these great Atlanta guys writing songs up close. At one point, Chris said, ‘Write about what you know That’s when it’s real.’ Every time I write, I hear ‘write about what you know.’ ”
Beginning with 2012’s “The Whippoorwill” album, Blackberry Smoke’s honest lyrics and wobbling music brought much music chart success The band has placed five albums in the Top 10 of the Top Country Albums chart, two of them at No. 1. The group’s albums entered other charts, too, with last year’s “Be Right Here,” for instance, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s Current Rock, Current Country and Americana/
ROBERTS
Continued from page 5C
fans waved briskly throughout the audience.
“What a great day for our beloved Southeastern,” university President William S Wainwright began.
Wainwright described Roberts, 64, as one of the most respected and accomplished broadcasters in the industry, rising through the ranks to present spot at ABC News. She’s also been named to Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, and is one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
“And due to her generosity and her love of her alma mater, we are thrilled to cut a ribbon today on the Robin Roberts Broadcast Media Center,” Wainwright continued. “Through Robin’s expression of love and support, future generations of broadcast journalism graduates will thrive and therefore strengthen their fami-
MONDAY ($10 admission; $15 wristbands; $5 admission with The Advocate coupon. Sponsors: The Advocate, Lamar Advertising)
TUESDAY
$2 Tuesday ($2 admission; $2 per ride; some $2 food specials; wristbands, $25)
WEDNESDAY ($10 admission; $15 wristbands; $5 admission with The Advocate coupon. Sponsors: The Advocate, Lamar) n 6:30 p.m., Oyster Shell Painting Event
THURSDAY, OCT. 30
($10 admission; $15 wristbands; $5 admission with The Advocate coupon; plus, buy 1 ride; wristband for $30, get 1 free. Sponsors: The Advocate, Lamar) n 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Meet the Dog Breeds & Sport Dog Demonstrations
FRIDAY, OCT. 31 ($15 admission; $35 ride wristbands) n 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Oz Born — The Ozzy Osbourne Experience
nity throughout the year in the form of grants, scholarships and sponsorships. The fair has raised almost $5 million since 1987 for programs involving children, families and quality of life. Here are a few more insider tips and highlights from the president:
SATURDAY,
n Wear comfortable shoes and clothing because there’s a lot of walking.
n Most of the grounds are handicapped accessible, including the entry, food court area and attractions center
n The midway area is accessible, although the asphalt is a bit uneven, so use care.
n There are more 4H agricultural shows this year than in recent years, including beef, dairy, goat, poultry and rabbit contests.
n The mutton busting children’s rodeo has returned after several years, and there also will be stick horse racing.
n Check out the pumpkin, oyster shell and maracas decorating sessions.
n The fair will honor 51 high school students for their volunteer activities during a ceremony on Sunday Baton Rouge MayorPresident Sid Edwards will present each with a certificate and a check.
n Don’t miss the eighth annual Lego competition for kids 7-13 What they can build with a random pile of Legos in 45 minutes is “just amazing.”
For more details, visit gbrsf.com.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.
Folk charts.
Blackberry Smoke’s sustained popularity means the band is now part of Georgia’s great musical history That legacy includes Little Richard, Otis Redding and James Brown from Macon; R.E.M., the B-52’s and Widespread Panic from Athens; Ray Charles and the Allman Brothers Band from smaller towns; and many stars from the Atlanta hip-hop scene.
“That would be an honor to be mentioned alongside some of those names,” said Starr, whose home-state influences include the Atlanta Rhythm Section, the Georgia Satellites, the Black Crowes and Drivin N Cryin.
Starr and his bandmates — guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner, keyboard player Brandon Still and new drummer Kent Aberlen — will be celebrating the band’s silver anniversary with-
lies, strengthen their communities, strengthen their economies, but of most importance, strengthen humanity.”
Roberts made a sizable donation to the project, which was also paid for through state capital outlay funds. The new center adds 33,000 square feet to the 80,000-squarefoot academic building, featuring three broadcast media studios a newsroom, a film studio and a multimedia studio.
During her remarks, Roberts talked of her first broadcasting job as sports director/on-air personality at WFPR/WHMD in Hammond while a student and stand-out on the Lady Lions basketball team.
“You haven’t lived until you scratch a little Merle Haggard on a 100-watt radio station in Hammond, America,” she said, laughing.
“This building is stellar It is beautiful. It exceeds all my expectations,” Roberts said. “… I could never have imagined what is behind us right now But what is most important, everyone who’s gonna
out a founding member Original Blackberry Smoke drummer Brit Turner died last year from cancer at 57 years old.
“Brit did not want to stop,” Starr said. “He played until he couldn’t play anymore. He was having trouble holding his drumsticks, but still playing beautifully That speaks to his love for doing this.”
Turner helped bring the band’s new drummer aboard, letting Aberlen shadow his performances with Blackberry Smoke during his final year of life.
“The day came where Brit couldn’t do it anymore,” Starr said.
“But any time I hear the music that we recorded with Brit playing drums, I see him with my ears. I hear his laugh and I see his great big smile. He was my best friend.” Email John Wirt at j_wirt@msn. com.
walk through those doors, the teachers that are in there waiting for you (the students) to help you because you are rooted to rise.”
She described the legacy wall located in the center’s lobby It’s a display outlining Roberts’ life, from growing up in Pass Christian, Mississippi, to radio and TV jobs on her way to ESPN and eventually ABC.
“And you will see on the wall, there are three quotes. One is from Sally-Ann (Roberts, her sister and retired WWL-TV co-anchor):
‘Don’t let fear keep you from your destiny Don’t let fear keep you from your destiny,’ she said. “And mine saying, ‘Dream big, but focus small.’ And then the last quote on the wall from our dear mother ‘Everybody has a gift. Discover yours and share it with the world.’ And I’m so grateful that I have been allowed this opportunity to share a gift with my Southeastern family.”
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.
PROVIDED PHOTO By ANDy SAPP Blackberry Smoke
PROVIDED PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
The kids will get a kick out of the Cheramie Farms Petting Zoo.
sCoRPIo (oct.24-nov. 22) Planasocial outing that fulfills your needs. Whether youenjoycreating something newor getting togetherwith friends, themore you engage in things you enjoy doing, the more growth you'll experience.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) An emotional plea will serve you well. Provide facts that help others understandyour actions. Achange is apparent, but it's up to youtobelieve and trust in yourself to ensure your initiatives come to fruition.
CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Protect your reputationand well-being. Refuse to let anyone put you in acompromising position. Focus on finishing what you start, andyou'llgainrespect andopportunities.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Listen carefully, and you'll figure outwhatothers are willing to do for you. Achange at home appears promising and is likely to bring peace of mind.
PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Live, learn andenjoywhatlife offers. Socializing will offer insight into the pitfalls and gains that come with change. Expect conversations to createanemotional tug-of-war.
ARIEs (March 21-April19) You are overdue forachange. Whether it's an emotional, financial or lifestyle transformation, beginning the processwill put your mind at ease and help yourecognize the potentialitoffers.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Establish a realistic budget and schedule to prevent
conflicts and stress. Use your energy wisely and refuse to let anyone take advantage of your skills without giving back.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Marketyourself for success.A passionateconversation about howyou utilizeyour skills and how strongly you feel about achieving your goals will capture the attention of someone who can offer valuable insights.
CAnCER (June 21-July 22) When opportunity knocks, open thedoor. Participation is thepath to new beginnings.Abracing and can-do attitude will serve you well. Protect against injury or illness.
LEo(July23-Aug. 22) Tread carefully. Socializing or networking can lead to arguments and emotional conversationsthat trigger old wounds.Put your energy into nurturing and protecting meaningful relationships.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Erratic behavior will come back to haunt you. Consider your choices and be mindful of what othersexpect from you. Bide your time to avoid making amistake.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Sticking to the facts, what's feasible and atimetable you can workwithwill protect you from criticismand stressful situations. Self-improvement, personal growth and making time for someone you love are necessary.
CelebrityCipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
toDAy's CLuE: EEQuALs V
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
SherMAn’S LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
Bridge
By PHILLIP ALDER
GeorgeEliot said, “Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right; decideon what you thinkisright and stick to it.”
(By the way, what was George Eliot’s real name?)
That is an excellent attitude to adopt in almost everything, including bridge. In today’s deal,South is in three no-trump. West leads his fourth-highest diamond, and East puts up the 10. Whatisthe right lineofplay for declarer?
Theauction is astraightforward Staymansequence, with South’s two-spade rebid denying four hearts.
South startswith eight top tricks: one spade, twohearts, one diamond (given thefirst trick) and fourclubs. Forthe ninth winner, it looks so natural to take thespade finesse. But when it loses(as it is bound to do in abridge lesson or newspapercolumn),Eastreturns adiamond and the defenders take fivetricks: one spade and four diamonds.
Southhas to establish aninth trick without letting East on lead.Sodeclarer must play on hearts. He leadsaclubto the dummy, then runs theheart jack through East.
Here, thefinesse winsand South has hisninth winner. But even if thefinesse hadlost, West couldnot lead another diamond without conceding an extra trick to South. Alwaysthink about thedanger
hand —the opponent youdonot want on lead. George Eliot’s real name was Mary Anne Evans.She used amalepen name becauseshe believed shewould be treated more seriously. In the19th century, women authors were (incorrectly)thoughtonlytowritelighthearted romances.
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which createsadisguised word, phrase,name,place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuCtIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
“And daily in the temple, andinevery house, they ceased not to teach andpreach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:42
wuzzles
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
hidato
mallard
the elapse of ten(10) days after receiptbythe LafayetteMayor-Presi‐dent withoutsignature or veto,oruponanover‐ride of aveto, whichever occurs first.
JO-0552025 AJOINT ORDINANCE OF THELAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AND THE THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCILAND THE LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCILPROVIDING FOR THEABANDONMENT OF A TEN(10’)FOOTUTILITY SERVITUDEONLOT E-127AAND E-127-BOFTHE BOIS DE LAFAYETTE,INC SUBDIVISION, LOCATED AT 700 AND702 EAST BAYOUPARKWAY BE IT ORDAINED by the LafayetteCityCouncil andthe LafayetteParish Council, that: WHEREAS, aten (10’)foot utilityservitude wasded‐icated to theLafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government,bythatcer‐tain actofdedication datedJune29, 2018, and recorded underAct No 2018-00022169 of the
PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAFAYETTECITY COUNCIL MEETING
OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, STATEOFLOUISIANA, TAKEN AT AREGULAR MEETING OF OCTOBER 21, 2025 HELD AT 705 W. UNIVERSITY AVENUE, LAFAYETTE, LA.
ATTENDANCE
COUNCIL:Kenneth P. Boudreaux (Chair,District5), Liz W. Hebert (ViceChair,District 3), Elroy Broussard(District1), Andy Naquin (District 2) and ThomasHooks (District 4)
ABSENT:None
COUNCIL STAFF:Joseph Gordon-Wiltz (Clerkofthe Council), Jeremy J. Swiney (Associate Clerk for Legislative Affairs) and Cindy Semien (Assistant Clerk for Legislative Affairs)
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:Monique B. Boulet (Mayor-President), Rachel Godeaux (Chief Administrative Officer),Karen Fontenot(Chief Financial Officer), Patrick S. Ottinger (City-Parish Attorney), Paul Escott (Assistant City-Parish Attorney) and TammyLuke (Director,CommunityDevelopment and Planning)
(5:31:00) CALL TO ORDER
Chair Boudreaux called the Regular City Council Meeting of October 21, 2025 to order
AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance
The Chair called upon CouncilmemberNaquin to cite an invocation and upon Councilmember Hooks to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
WELCOME AND CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chair Boudreaux made the following announcements:
•Requested amoment of silence forthis morning’splane crash victims near Gloria Switch Road and Hwy 93;
•Item No. 20, JO-054-2025, atechnical amendment is needed to note the author as Public Worksinstead of Traffic, Roads and Bridges.
AGENDAITEM NO. 2: COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Broussardinvited everyone to attend the free Youth Basketball Clinic on October 25th for the first 150 kids, ages 5-14, from 9am –noon.
Naquin invited everyone to attend Trunk or Treat at Cajun Field on October 30th, from 5:30pm –7:30pm
•Major infrastructureimprovements areon tonight’sagenda. Some of the funding comes from the millage up forrenewal on November15th;
•Early voting for the November 15th election is November 1st –November 8th;
•Invited everyone to attend Trunk or Treat on October 30th at Cajun Field;
•Invited everyone to attend Lafayette’sSalute to Veterans event on November 9th, from 3pm –6pm, at MoncusPark;
•Invited everyone to attend the Thomas ParkTennis Court Groundbreaking on October 27th at 10:00am
RESOLUTION
AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: CR-017-2025 Aresolution of the Lafayette City Council recognizing the month of October 2025 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Lafayette, motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Hebert,and the votewas as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
Boudreauxacknowledged the PARC Department for their Breast Cancer Awareness “Pink Picnic” that was held on October 17th. Swiney read the resolution, in full.
Connie Auzenne, Director’sExecutive Secretary,statedthat she is a breast cancer survivor since 2009.
NeilBob, Labor Foreman III, statedthat his mother was s30-year survivor andhis mother in law is a17year survivorofbreast cancer.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 5: CR-018-2025 Aresolution of theLafayette City Council affirming the selection of funding recipients forthe 2025-2026 External Agencies Funding Program, motion to adopt by Hooks,seconded by Hebert, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks,Boudreaux
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
REPORTS AND/OR DISCUSSIONITEMS
AGENDAITEM NO. 6: Lafayette MosquitoProgram
Godeauxnoted that the MosquitoProgram is paid forwith one of the millages up for renewal on November 15th.
Bess Foret, LCG Environmental Quality Manager,introduced Sam Stines, VDCI Regional Director
Stinesled the Council thru apresentation, covering:
•Qualifications and Experience; •Resources and Equipment; •Inspection and Surveillance; •Larval Mosquito Control; •Adult Control; •ScientificApplications and Research; •Education and Public Engagement; and •Mosquito-Borne Diseases.
ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION
AGENDA ITEM NO. 7: CO-108-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the Lafayette Development Code and the official map of the City of Lafayette,providing forthe annexationofadditional land into the corporate limits of the City of Lafayette, Louisiana, Case No. 2025-17REZ 601 Tolson Road Annexation,located generally northofDarbonne Road, east of Tolson Road, and south of RaspberryLane; and assigning azoning classification of RS-1(Residential Single-Family) (District 4), motiontoadoptbyNaquin, seconded by Herbert, and the votewas as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 8: CO-109-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the Lafayette Development Code so as to reclassify the property of Case No. 2025-18-REZ 412 Piave Street Rezoning,located generallynorth of Haig Street,eastofPiave Street,and south of Carmel Drive; being rezoned from RS-1(Residential Single-Family) to RM-1 (Residential Mixed),motion to adopt by Naquin, seconded by Hebert, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Boudreaux
NAYS: Hooks
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 9: CO-110-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the LafayetteDevelopment Code so as to reclassify the property of CaseNo. 2025-19-REZ 400 Block of CroftRow Rezoning, located generallynorth of DunveganCourt, west of CullodenLane, and south of Driftwood Street; being rezoned from RS-1(Residential SingleFamily) to RM-1 (ResidentialMixed), motiontoadopt by Broussard, seconded by Hebert.
Hooks noted that the staffreport and zoning commission both
2018-00022169 of the LafayetteParishCon‐veyanceRecords;and WHEREAS, aboundary line adjustment of LotE127, createdLotsE-127-A andE-127-Bofthe Boise De Lafayette, Inc. Subdi‐vision andisclearly shownona plat of sur‐veyconveyancepre‐paredbyA.E.Montagnet datedNovember 06, 2017, recorded under ActNo. 2018-00022169, recordsof LafayetteParish; andat‐tached hereto andmade aparthereofinExhibit A; and WHEREAS, theten (10’) foot utilityservitude on Lots E-127-Aand E-127-B hasbeen proposed for abandonmentand is clearlyshown on aplat of survey prepared by A E M t t PLS
of survey prepared by A.E. Montagnet, PLS, datedMay 14, 2025, at‐tached hereto andmade aparthereofinExhibit B; and WHEREAS, it hasbeen determined by the LafayetteCityCouncil andthe LafayetteParish Councilthatthe ten(10’) foot utilityservitude,as showninExhibit B, is no longer needed forpublic useand,accordingly,itis appropriatethatsaid utilityniche be aban‐doned. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHERORDAINEDby theLafayette City Coun‐ciland theLafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION1:All of the aforedescribed “Whereas”clauses are d d f hi
recommended RS-2 (Residential Sing-Family).
Whereas clauses are adoptedaspartofthis ordinance. SECTION2:The Lafayette City Counciland the LafayetteParishCouncil hereby abandonthe ten (10’)footutility servi‐tude,asshown on aplat of survey prepared by A.E. Montagnet, PLS, datedMay 14, 2025, at‐tached hereto andmade aparthereofinExhibit B.
SECTION3:The Lafayette Mayor-Presidentis hereby authorized and empoweredtoexecute an ActofAbandonment in ordertoeffectuatethe abandonmentthe ten (10’)footutility servi‐tude,asshown on aplat of survey prepared by A.E. Montagnet, PLS, datedMay 14, 2025. SECTION 4 All di
Hooks motioned to amend to have the property rezoned as RS-2 (Residential Single-Family), seconded by Hebert,and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to amend wasapproved.
The Chairthen called for the vote to adopt, as amended, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt, as amended, wasapproved.
Escott noted that the Zoning Commission is just arecommending body and that the RM-1 (Residential Mixed) zoning was applicant driven.
AGENDA ITEM NO.10: CO-111-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councilamending the FY 24/25 operating &capital budget of the LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government to provide for adjustments of revenue and appropriationestimates,motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Hebert,and the vote was as follows:
YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.11: CO-112-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councilauthorizing the LafayetteMayor-President to enter into an Act of Depositonbehalf of the LafayettePoliceDepartment of mounted horse RIOtoSenior Corporal DavidStanley (Police Horse),motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Broussard, and the vote was as follows:
YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.12: CO-113-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councilamending City Ordinance Nos. CO-037-2023, CO-034-2021, and CO-038-2023 to clarify the authoritygranted to the Department of Finance to make administrative revisions to the operating and capital budgets of LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government related to NTIA Grant, EDA-New IberiaGrant,and EDA-Jennings Grant, motionto adopt by Hebert,seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows:
YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.13: CO-114-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councilamending the FY 24/25 operating budget and adjusting the manning tables of the LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government to make various personnel adjustmentsper Civil Service recommendation within the Communications Department,motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Broussard, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.14: CO-115-2025 An ordinance of the LafayetteCity Councildeclaring the St.John Street SidewalksProject apublicnecessity and authorizingthe acquisition of the necessary rights-of-way,immovable propertyand other property rights requisite to the construction of said project, either on an amicable basis or through the proper use of the expropriation process, if necessary,motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded byHebert, and the vote was as follows:
YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.15: CO-116-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councildeclaring the SouthBeadle Road SidewalksProject apublic necessityand authorizing the acquisition of the necessary rights-of-way immovableproperty and other property rights requisite to the construction of said project, either on an amicable basis or through the proper use of the expropriation process, if necessary,motiontoadopt by Broussard, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.16: CO-117-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councilauthorizing the LafayetteMayor-President and/or the Director of Utilities to accept the sub-awardofagrant under the Section 40101(D) Grid Resilience FormulaGrant Program,authorizing acost match for said grant in the amountof$3,982,500, and amending the FY 24/25 capitalbudget of the LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government by transferring the sum of $2,057,500 from Retained Earnings Reserve to the Copper Overhead Line Rehabilitation, Wood Pole Improvements, and Distribution Automation/Feeder Restoration Projects withinthe Utilities Department,motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Hebert,and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.17: CO-118-2025 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Councilauthorizing the LafayetteMayor-President to execute the Amendment No.5 to the WholesaleWater Agreement between the LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government and the City of Broussard, Louisiana, motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Hebert and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
JOINT ORDINANCESFOR FINAL ADOPTION
AGENDA ITEM NO.18: JO-052-2025 Ajoint ordinance of the Lafayette City Counciland the LafayetteParish Councilamending the FY 24/25 operating budget of the LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government to provide for adjustmentsofrevenue and appropriation estimates,motion to adopt by Hebert,seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows:
YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS:None ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt wasapproved.
AGENDA ITEM NO.19: JO-053-2025 Ajoint ordinance of the Lafayette City Counciland the LafayetteParish Councilamending the FY 24/25 operating and capital budgets of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, recognizing revenues in the amountof$5,000,000 received fromthe Louisiana Department of Transportationand Development (DOTD), appropriating within the Traffic, Roads, and Bridges Department TrafficEngineering Division,authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to executecontractswiththe Louisiana Department of Transportationand Development (DOTD)for the Project (H.016577) LA 733 (E.Broussard) @ Vincent Road Roundabout and declaring the project apublicnecessity, authorizingthe acquisition of the necessary rights-of-way,immovable propertyand other property rights requisite to the construction of said project, either on an amicable basis or through the proper use of the expropriation process, if necessary,motiontoadopt by Naquin, seconded by Hebert, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
dated May 14 2025 SECTION4:All ordi‐nances or resolutions, or partsthereof,inconflict herewith areherebyre‐pealed SECTION5:After first having been adoptedby amajorityofthe autho‐rized membership of both theLafayette Parish Counciland the Lafayette City Council, this jointordinance shall become effectiveupon signatureofthisjoint or‐dinancebythe Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten(10)days afterreceipt
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.
AGENDAITEM NO. 20:JO-054-2025 Ajoint ordinance of theLafayette City Council andthe LafayetteParish Council declaring theVeterinarian RoadBridge Replacement Project apublic necessityand authorizingthe acquisition of thenecessaryrights-of-way,immovable property andother property rights requisite to theconstruction of said project, either on an amicable basis or throughthe proper use of theexpropriation process, if necessary,motion to adopt by Broussard, secondedbyHebert
Amotion to amendtoadjust theauthor to read PublicWorks wasoffered by Naquin, secondedbyHebert, andthe vote wasasfollows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to amend was approved.
TheChair called for avote to adopt, as amended, andthe vote wasas follows: YEAS: Broussard,Naquin,Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt, as amended, was approved.
AGENDAITEM NO. 21:JO-055-2025 Ajoint ordinance of theLafayette City Council andthe LafayetteParish Council providing for the abandonment of aten (10’) footutility servitude on LotE-127-Aand E-127-Bofthe BoisDeLafayette, Inc. Subdivision, located at 700and 702East Bayou Parkway,motion to adopt by Broussard, secondedby Hebert,and thevote wasasfollows:
YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.
APPOINTMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR-PRESIDENTAND/ OR ANY OTHERDIRECT APPOINTING AUTHORITY
AGENDAITEM NO. 22:The UL President appointed Dr.JaimieHebert to theCajundome Commission for afour-yearterm,effective October 7, 2025
INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES
Amotion to introduce agenda items 23-26, in globo,was offeredby Naquin, secondedbyHooks.
23.CO-119-2025 An ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil authorizingthe LafayetteMayor-President to enterintoanAct of Donation by andbetween theFriends of theLafayettePolice Mounted Unit andthe City of Lafayetteaccepting thedonation of thehorse namedSouth Ridge Augustus (Gus) to be usedbythe LafayettePolice Department (Police Horse).
24.CO-120-2025 An ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil amending theFY25/26operating budget of theLafayetteCityParish Consolidated Government by increasingrevenues in the amountof$22,155receivedfromthe UnitedStatesDepartment of Justice,DrugEnforcement Administration “DEA” in reference to an existing taskforce agreement andappropriatingwithinthe LafayettePolice Department.
25.CO-121-2025 An ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil declaring theBertrand Drive Project apublic necessityand authorizingthe acquisition of thenecessary rights-of-way immovable property andother property rights requisite to the construction of said project, either on an amicable basis or throughthe proper use of theexpropriation process, if necessary.
26.CO-122-2025 An ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil amending theFY25/26operating budget of theLafayetteCityParish Consolidated Government by increasingrevenues in the amountof$30,620receivedfromthe National Park Service throughthe Louisiana Office of Cultural DevelopmentDivision of Historic Preservation appropriatingComprehensive Plan Implementation Funds within theCommunity Development& PlanningDepartment in theamountof$20,072asthe required matchfor theHistoric Preservation Fund Grant
TheChairthencalledfor avote to introduce theordinances(items 23-26) in globo,and thevote wasasfollows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux NAYS: None ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce,inglobo,was approved.
JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES
Amotion to introduce agenda items 27-29, in globo,was offeredby Broussard, secondedbyHebert
27.JO-056-2025Ajoint ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil and theLafayetteParish Council amending theFY25/26operating andcapital budget of theLafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government by increasingreimbursement revenues from State of LouisianaFacility Planningand Control for Lake Farm to Verot School RoadExtension, Planning andConstruction Project No. 50-J28-23-10 in theamountof$2,425,000 andaccountingfor therequired matchof$833,333 andappropriatingwithin the Public Works Department.
28.JO-057-2025A joint ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil and theLafayetteParish Council amending theFY25/26operating andcapital budget of theLafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Government by increasingreimbursement revenues from State of LouisianaFacility Planning andControl for Heymann Park Improvements, Planning andConstruction Project No. 50J28-19-02 in theamountof$800,000 andaccountingfor the required matchof$124,834 andappropriatingwithin thePARC Department.
29.JO-058-2025 Ajoint ordinance of theLafayetteCityCouncil andthe LafayetteParish Council amending theFY 25/26capital budget of theLafayetteCity-Parish ConsolidatedGovernment by transferring funds from Lajaunie RoadBridge Replacement Project to existing Frem BoustanyExtension Project and transferring funds from MillcreekDrainageImprovements Project,Becky Lane Cross Drain Replacement Project andRiver Oaks Detention Project to create newFremBoustanyExtension Project
TheChairthencalledfor avote to introduce theordinances(items 27-29) in globo,and thevote wasasfollows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux NAYS: None ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce,inglobo,was approved.
COMMENT(S)FROMTHE PUBLIC AGENDAITEM NO. 30:Comments from thepublic on anyother matter(s) notonthisagenda. No onesigned in to speak.
(6:38:00)
NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURHER ORDAINED by the LafayetteParishCouncil that:
SECTION1:Inaccordance with theLouisiana Elec‐tion Code,the Lafayette Parish Council, as the governingauthority for theParishofLafayette, hereby approvesofthe change in thepolling placelocationfor Precincts038, 041, &042 from SJ Montgomery Ele‐mentarySchool to LafayetteHighSchool,lo‐catedat3000 W. Con‐gressStreet,Lafayette LA 70506, duetothe clo‐sure anddemolitionofSJ Montgomery Elementary School SECTION2:The Lafayette Mayor-Presidentis hereby authorized to enterintoany andall contracts, necessary, in‐cidental,convenient, or desirabletomakethe change of thepolling placefor Precincts038, 041 &042 permanent.
SECTION3:Oncethis Parish Ordinancebe‐comeseffective,ifsuch occurs,the Clerkofthe Councilfor theLafayette Parish Councilshall sub‐mitcertified copies of this Parish Ordinanceto theLouisiana Secretary of State, theLafayette Parish ClerkofCourt andthe LafayetteParish RegistrarofVoters. The RegistrarofVoterswill issuenew votercards consistent with thepro‐visionsofthisParishOr‐dinance. SECTION4:All ordi‐nances or resolutions, or partsthereof,inconflict herewith areherebyre‐pealed SECTION5:Thisordi‐nanceshall become ef‐fectiveuponsignature of theLafayette MayorPresident, theelapseof ten(10) days after re‐ceiptbythe Lafayette Mayor-Presidentwithout signatureorveto, or upon an override of a veto,whichever occurs first.
MENT BY ADJUSTING THE MANNINGTABLESTOAD‐JUST SALARIES IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE,NON-SUPPORT DIVISION,TO BE REIM‐BURSED 100% BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE,NON-SUPPORT DIVISION,THROUGH THE STATEOFLOUISIANA,DE‐PARTMENT OF FAMILY ANDCHILDRENSERVICES BE IT ORDAINED by the LafayetteParishCouncil that: SECTION1:The FY 24/25 manningtablesand op‐eratingbudgetare hereby amendedand ad‐justed by increasing the contribution from the District Attorney’s Office Non-SupportDivisionin theamount of $1,486 for theadjustmentofstaff salaries SECTION2:Thistransfer of fundsshall be re‐flectedinany pertinent documentswhich areat‐tached andmadea part hereof and filedinthe Office of theClerk of the Council. SECTION3:All ordi‐nances or resolutions, or partsthereof,inconflict herewith areherebyre‐pealed SECTION4:Thisordi‐nanceshall become ef‐fectiveuponsignature of theLafayette MayorPresident, theelapseof ten(10) days after re‐ceiptbythe Lafayette Mayor-Presidentwithout signatureorveto, or upon an override of a veto,whichever occurs first.
on August 20, 2025, theLafayette Mayor-President, in con‐junction with the LafayetteParishRegis‐trar of Voters,issued a notice of change of polling location for Precincts038, 041, &042 forthe October11, 2025 election from SJ Mont‐gomeryElementary School to LafayetteHigh School duetothe closure anddemolitionofSJ Montgomery Elementary School;and WHEREAS, theLouisiana Election Code authorizes achangeofpolling place by theLafayette MayorPresident, butprovides that such change shall notbepermanent unless thegoverning authority of theparishvotes to ap‐provesaidchange; and WHEREAS, theLafayette Parish Council, as the governingauthority for theParishofLafayette desirestomakethis polling placechangefor Precincts038, 041 &042 permanent; and WHEREAS, theLafayette Parish Council findsthat thepolling placelocation forPrecincts 038, 041 & 042 at LafayetteHigh School is efficient, costeffective, andconvenient to voters;and WHEREAS, theLafayette Parish Councildesires to granttothe Lafayette Mayor-Presidentthe au‐thoritytoenterintoany andall contracts, neces‐sary,incidental, conve‐nient, or desirableto make thechangeofthe polling placefor Precincts038, 041 &042 permanent. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURHER ORDAINED b th
PARISH ORDINANCENO. PO-048-2025 AN ORDINANCEOFTHE LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCILAMENDINGTHE FY 24/25 OPERATING BUDGET OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐MENT BY ADJUSTINGTHE MANNING TABLES TO AD
PARISH ORDINANCENO. PO-049-2025 AN ORDINANCEOFTHE LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCILAMENDINGTHE FY 24/25 OPERATING & CAPITALBUDGETOFTHE LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐MENT TO PROVIDEFOR ADJUSTMENTSOFREV‐ENUE ANDAPPROPRIA‐TION ESTIMATES BE IT ORDAINED by the LafayetteParishCouncil that: SECTION1:The FY 24/25 operating& capitalbud‐getofthe LafayetteCityParish Consolidated Gov‐ernmentishereby amendedtoprovide for variousadjustments of revenue andappropria‐ti ti t revenue and appropria tion estimates. SECTION2:All revenue projectionsfor theFY 24/25 have been re‐viewed by theOffice of Financeand Manage‐ment andrecalculatedin lightofactualreceiptsto date.Appropriationline itemshavealsobeen
Road at South Domingue Road Intersection Im‐provements
(hereinafter referred to as “Project”) apublicne‐cessity; and WHEREAS, thepublic purposetobeservedby theconstructionofsaid projectistoprovide for theimprovement of pub‐licsafety at theseloca‐tions; and WHEREAS, theproject limits areshown on the
Exhibits “A”and “B”for theprojects, and generally involves re‐moving theexisting roundaboutand con‐structinga multilane roundaboutatRidge Road at RueDuBelier Road andconstructing a roundaboutatthe inter‐sectionofRidge Road andS.Dominguewith some road widening near theroundabout; and WHEREAS, engineering work hasprogressedto a pointwherein it is deter‐minedthatcertain tracts of land or portions thereofwillberequired forthe construction of theProject NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHERORDAINEDby theLafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION1:All of the aforedescribed “Whereas”clauses are adoptedaspartofthis ordinance. SECTION2:The Lafayette Mayor-Presidentis hereby authorized to ac‐quiresuchland, immov‐able property,rights-ofway, servitudes,orother property rights as are determined to be neces‐sary under good engi‐neeringstandards to providefor theconstruc‐tion of said project;and sheisauthorizedtodo so on an amicable basis or by theproperuse of thepower of expropria‐tion grantedtomunici‐palities under applicable Statelaw.Inpursuing said land,immovable property,right-of-way acquisitions,she is au‐thorized to acquiresaid land,immovableprop‐erty,right-of-wayand to settle thematters thus presented, on such terms andconditions as she shalldeem proper andin thebestinterestofthe LafayetteCity-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ment
SECTION3:All ordi‐nances or resolutions, or t th f i fli t
nances or resolutions or partsthereof,inconflict herewith areherebyre‐pealed SECTION4:Thisordi‐nanceshall become ef‐fectiveuponsignature of theLafayette MayorPresident, theelapseof ten(10)daysafter re‐ceiptbythe Lafayette Mayor-Presidentwithout signatureorveto, or upon an override of a veto,whichever occurs first. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTECLERK OF THE COUNCIL 164020-OCT 24-1T $94.36 PUBLIC NOTICENOTICE TheLafayette
